History - 1982

Fairview Clinic Services in Bloomington was established in 1982. Leadership in MMGMA is identified as President Stan Salzman; Vice President Jerry Wollner; Secretary Jean Trygstad; Treasurer Frank Wilkus; Legislative Liaison Tim Signorelli; Third Party Liaisons, Pat Taillefer, Vivian Hoese and Al Schillmoeller; MMA Liaison, David Adams; Education, John Ostrander; Membership, Donald Grandgenett.

For the year 1982, the Winter Meeting was held on February 28, at the Minneapolis Sheraton-Ritz. Tim Signorelli served as coordinator. Member registration numbered 87 out of a total membership of 186. The summer meeting was held August 11-13 at the Arrowwood in Alexandria with Frank Wilkus serving as General Chairman and Susan Williams as Coordinator. Registration at the Summer Conference was 82 members plus 46 others out of a total membership of 204. Al Tank handled the exhibits for the Winter Conference and Jim Wilkus for the Summer Conference.

Financial balances for January 1, 1982, equaled $17,376 and for December 31, 1982, $13,987.

From Jerry Wollner, July 12, 1993: "Under the leadership of Stan Salzman and the assistance of Jean Trygstad and Jerry Wollner, MMGMA produced five education videotapes at a cost of $15,000. These tapes were given to CRAHCA as a fund raising gift which eventually produced revenue in excess of $100,000."

Past Presidents convened at the Duluth MMGMA Conference on August 5, 1993, asserted that Jim Martin of the Mayo Clinic was a very important contributor to the development of these videotapes.

Also noted, at this meeting, was the leadership of Salzman, Trygstad and Wollner in initiating and sustaining the use of teleconferencing by MGMA -- to speed the delivery of "hot topic" information nationally.

Other major activities and information items of the Association for this year included:

• Membership: reaches 196 paid on May 21, 204 members on August 11; life membership for J. Roger Asplin and Donovan Peterson; life members will be offered complimentary registration at the next conference, but must pay for their own travel and lodging;
  
• Education: audio visual program has completed four films on time and on budget -- will be presented at the National Conference; 1982 workshops are popular; 5th audio visual film on awareness approved and budgeted for $2,500; a third workshop on "change" is planned for Duluth on October 15; a fourth tentatively scheduled for Minneapolis in November on "telephone collection" will be delivered by Allied Medical;
  
• Liaison: Adams suggested this be split between legislative and MMA Liaison; death of James Sova has caused considerable restructuring; non-M.D. professionals are pushing for licensures; Certificate of Need Act repealed;
  
• Third Party: Discussion about Workers' Compensation fee schedules -- so far, no action; Blue Shield emphasis on paperless claims -- need for standard equipment (Barbara Zapp); DPW coming with new rules on surgery procedures; HMOs are getting started in Medicaid;
  
• Exhibitors: none at Summer Conference; and
  
• Organizational: Taillefer recommended that permanent MMGMA record storage be established; handbook for duties of director and officers was reviewed.
  
  

Minnesota member groups belonging to MGMA now number 101.

The 56th Annual Conference of MGMA was held October 17-21, 1982, at the Hilton hotel in Las Vegas under the leadership of Edward J. Gerloff, FACMGA, President of MGMA. The ACMGA President was John Q. Paulsen, FACMGA.

Official registration at the annual conference was 1,250 members and 396 spouses and guests for a total of 1,646.

The 21st Annual Conference of the Midwest Section was held on June 27-29, 1982, at Lakelawn Lodge, Delavan, Wis., under the leadership of E. Thomas Lietzke. Tom has been our benefactor on a number of linkages with MMGMA and the Midwest Section, having presented us with 1970 MGMA photo directory in mint condition, a number of copies of the "Midwest Memo" including two for 1982 and program materials from many conferences.

The early "Midwest Memo" for 1982 included the following section from the Minnesota reporter:
"During the past year, our Education Committee presented four one-day seminars for supervisory employees. The seminars were held in different locations throughout the state with 141 registrants. As has been financially self-supporting. The committee plans four programs for 1982. The first program was recently held and had 61 registrants. Future topics to be considered will be: general supervisory skills, leadership, productivity, credit and collection and team training and building.

"Our association is extremely excited about the six-part audio visual series which is currently under production. Last year, MMGMA approved an expenditure of $10,000-$12,000 for the production of this series and with the cooperation of the Mayo Clinic, has undertaken the production of six 30-minute audio visual employee orientation and training films. It is the intent of the association to donate these films to CRAHCA for national distribution. It is our hope that this series will demonstrate the value of audio visual and the potential for further development of products such as this by our national association. We are hoping to have the series completed in time to display at our upcoming national meeting in Las Vegas."

From the "Midwest Memo" of late 1982 the following from the Minnesota Reporter: "The MMGMA summer meeting was held August 11-13, 1982, at Arrowwood Lodge, Alexandria, Minn., and attracted approximately 100 Minnesota managers. Longtime MMGMA member and current MGMA President Ed Gerloff also was in attendance. The program included sessions on project management, marketing and a Third Party forum dealing with reimbursement concerns.

"The highlight of the meeting was the premier showing of Human Relations at Work, a series of videotape training programs developed especially for medical clinics. The project, headed by Stan Salzman, Jerry Wollner and Jean Trygstad, has been nearly two years in the making, and is an excellent example of what can be done by a state organization. The videotapes will be introduced nationally in Las Vegas and will be presented to CRAHCA for distribution to interested clinics. A super job and well worth investigating for use in your clinic.

"MMGMA has now passed the 200 member mark, another tribute to a very active group of people.

"Life Membership was granted to J. Roger Asplin, Luther Boie, Ralph Schmierer, FACMGA, of the Dakota Clinic in Fargo and C.L. (Kelly) Martinson, FACMGA, along with four other non-Minnesota members of the Midwest Section."

Membership in MGMA is: Southern Section 1,241, Western 1,098, Midwest, 1,068, Eastern 753. Other 122 for a grand total of 4,282 members.

MMGMA past presidents convened in Duluth on August 5, 1993, and cited the great value of the Midwest Section Council of Presidents in the exchange of advice and ideas for association management at state, section and national levels, Minnesota people contributed extensively to this effort in the 1980s. Testimony of officers of other state associations suggests that Minnesota has consistently been a leader in addressing association management issues.

New College Fellows for 1982 included Duane H. Anderson, R.F. Roskens, David C. Fleming and E. Thomas Lietzke.