Dr. Marty Makary Urges Healthcare Leaders to Work Together to Restore Trust in System
2,000 executives convene at AMGA Annual Conference
Alexandria, VA – New York Times Bestselling Author of Unaccountable and Johns Hopkins Surgeon and Professor of Health Policy Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H., addressed healthcare leaders at AMGA’s 2019 Annual Conference held last week, March 27-30, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, MD.
During his session, “Preparing for an Era of Healthcare Transparency,” Makary spoke to an audience of roughly 2,000 medical group and health system leaders about restoring patient trust and improving outcomes through transparent, appropriate care. During the session, Makary identified two key culprits of over-treatment: a lack of actionable data and financial incentives to administer unnecessary medical services.
“Health care has become a money game, and it’s taking a heavy toll on public trust. At this moment, 24% of patients avoid seeking care, because they fear its price,” said Makary. “What will our legacy be? We’re at a crucial junction in American health care, and there is a key opportunity for us to stand up and restore public trust. If we work together to deliver the appropriate amount of care, we can do so much good together.”
AMGA’s Annual Conference featured more than 100 sessions on other popular healthcare topics, including innovative care models, physician burnout, leadership development, opiate/opioid addiction, virtual care, and practice management. Overarching themes from the conference were transparency; patient-centered, compassionate care; affordability; integrity; and values and culture.
“The Annual Conference is AMGA’s premier networking and peer-to-peer learning event of the year. We work tirelessly to ensure it addresses today's most relevant topics and is a highly valuable experience for those who attend,” said Jerry Penso, M.D. M.B.A., AMGA president and CEO. “We want attendees to leave our conference feeling inspired to tackle their most pressing challenges. Based on early feedback I’ve received from members, exhibitors, board members, and supporting organizations, this year’s conference has exceeded even our own expectations.”
Next year’s AMGA Annual Conference will be held March 25-28, 2020 in San Diego, CA.
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About AMGA
AMGA is a trade association leading the transformation of health care in America. Representing multispecialty medical groups and integrated systems of care, we advocate, educate, innovate, and empower our members to deliver the next level of high performance health. AMGA is the national voice promoting awareness of our members’ recognized excellence in the delivery of coordinated, high quality, high-value care. More than 175,000 physicians practice in our member organizations, delivering care to one in three