William F. Jessee, MD, president and chief executive officer of the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), has announced that he will retire in the fall of 2011.
Jessee has been at the head of MGMA for 11 years. During his tenure, MGMA and its certification body, the American College of Medical Practice Executives (ACMPE), experienced unprecedented membership and revenue growth.
Jessee has been known as a pioneer in identifying and addressing sources of unnecessary administrative complexity in healthcare, and raising awareness of the medical practice management profession. Jessee is consistently ranked in Modern Healthcare’s Top 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare and Top 50 Most Powerful Physician Executives.
“MGMA was a successful association before Bill’s arrival, but his leadership and vision have taken us to new heights,” said Forrest D. Danner Jr., FACMPE, MGMA Board chair and vice president and chief operating officer, Aspirus Clinics Inc., Wausau, Wis. “He elevated the visibility and credibility of MGMA and the profession of medical practice management and has become the face of MGMA.”
“I’ve been blessed to have the opportunity to spend the last eleven years working with a marvelous staff and dynamic boards of directors, during an incredibly exciting period for our nation’s healthcare system,” said Jessee.
Jessee’s varied background includes medical training as a pediatrician and preventive medicine specialist. Before joining MGMA in 1999, Jessee served as vice president for quality and managed care standards at the American Medical Association. He also holds academic appointments as clinical professor of preventive medicine and biometrics at the University of Colorado Health Sciences, and as adjunct professor of health policy and administration at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health.
During his tenure at MGMA, Jessee has been an active board member for several organizations, including the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME), the e-Health Initiative (e-HI), and the Colorado Regional Health Information Organization (CORHIO). He also served for nine years on the board of Exempla Healthcare in Denver, including service as chairman for two years.
MGMA will soon begin its search for a successor, ensuring a smooth transition and minimal disruption to its 21,500 members across the nation. The recruitment process will take nine-to-12 months once the search is formally launched.