By Brianna Davis

Fairbanks- Foundation Health Partners' very own, Rebecca Dean, MA, FACMPE, Practice Administrator of Tanana Valley Clinic Orthopedics and Sportsmedicine, received the 2018 Medical Group Management Association Lifetime Achievement Award, an award designed to recognize and celebrate the success of a leader who has inspired and empowered other leaders through significant contributions to the healthcare industry, with particular emphasis on the advancement of medical group administration, delivery, and/or education.

Nominated by a prior MGMA chair, Dean was selected out of 40,000+ members through a very complex and structured process of metrics, measures and ethical standards.

“It took me by surprise. I was not aware,” Dean said. “It is an incredible honor to be recognized by one’s peers for doing what I enjoy so much. This certainly is the highlight of my professional affiliation with MGMA.”

As an award recipient, Dean received national public recognition at the MGMA Annual Conference held in Boston last month, national promotion via MGMA media channels and a spotlight in the MGMA Connection magazine. Dean attended the Annual Conference, representing Foundation Health Partners in the Lower 48. During her remarks on stage, she graciously thanked her husband and son for their support, on a national level. It was the one place that her voice quivered, and she had to pause.

“It’s a very emotional moment when you recognize that you’re the one being provided with the award and it’s all those behind you that made you get there,” Dean said. “It’s been a really good journey. An absolutely good journey.”

Dean holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and is a Fellow of the American College of Medical Practice Executives. Dean holds the distinction of being the first Alaskan to attain Fellow status from ACMPE, in 1994.

Dean relocated to Fairbanks, Alaska in 1987 from the North Shore area of Chicago, Illinois, where there was a very healthy pool of healthcare executive and management resources. She reached out to the Washington State MGMA and asked for affiliated membership in order to continue to stay on the leading edge of what was developing in health care, and continue to have collegial network resources.

MGMA is the epitome of professional accountability in the health care industry. The association has thousands of contributing members working diligently every day to demonstrate stewardship within the healthcare industry. The association provides the opportunity to bring skills and training back into private practice, providing knowledge, governance and leadership resources.

“When you get into the leadership track with MGMA, you quickly learn to become an ethical and knowledgeable member, and supporting education and the development of leadership skills,” Dean said.

Dean was determined to build the Alaska state MGMA organization, and use the network to develop medical practice leaders and executives. She believed the private practices and hospital systems in Alaska could engage and combine resources for the best care delivery. 30 years later, Dean now provides practice management within such a health care system. Leadership training, governance development, and education for healthcare executives here in Alaska have been Dean’s legacy.

Dean was also privileged to serve as one of the original ten panelists to develop the first Body of Knowledge, the criteria for healthcare executives seeking certification toward fellowship. It was during such enhanced educational opportunities that Dean learned the power of “collective wisdom.”

“That’s how MGMA started to affect my life,” Dean said. “As stewards of our profession, it is our duty to impart our knowledge to our colleagues and leave a legacy of resources and knowledge for those that follow. Wisdom isn’t a tangible asset until you can share it and pass it along.”

With an extensive résumé of board representations, committee and panel affiliations, Dean’s quest for knowledge is apparent. Dean currently serves on the American Alliance of Orthopaedic Executives Board of Directors, the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and is an active member of the Women Business Leaders of the US Healthcare Industry Foundation and the HealthCare Compliance Association.

Dean has led People to People and NANDA journeys for physicians and healthcare executives to China, Tibet, Cuba, Australia and New Zealand. She looks forward to leading another international trip in the near future.

About MGMA

Based in Englewood, Colorado, the Medical Group Management Association is a medical membership company that helps create successful medical practices focused on delivering the highest-quality patient care. Created in 1926, MGMA has become the leading association for medical practice administrators and executives.

MGMA helps improve members’ practices through exclusive member benefits, education, resources, news, information, advocacy, and networking opportunities. MGMA also produces some of the most credible and robust medical practice economic data and data solutions in the industry.

Through its industry-leading ACMPE board certification and Fellowship programs, MGMA advances the profession of medical practice management. MGMA represents more than 33,000 medical practice administrators and executives in practices of all sizes, types, structures and specialties across all 50 states.