#TBT to Privia’s Mid-Atlantic Celebration

At the 6th Mid-Atlantic Annual Celebration, Privia doctors and independent physicians from Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., corralled for an enlightening discussion about this fast-paced, ever-changing field.
Held at the Canopy Hotel in Bethesda, Maryland, the event welcomed local doctors for a meet-and-greet over craft cocktails and dinner with three speakers who provided a full picture of Privia’s efforts to better support independent practices in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Privia was joined by Jessica Sweeney-Platt, executive director of physician performance research at athenahealth, who emphasized the valuable role primary care physicians play in maintaining and improving patient health. “Access, transitioning to risk-based payments, consolidation, quality improvement, patient engagement, and experience — primary care is at the center of every single one of those.” She then pivoted to unpack what a “high-capability” health organization involves — tools, resources, and flexibility — and how these components ensure “the mission that brought everyone into medicine isn’t obscured by the ugly realities of regulatory requirements and day-to-day activities.”

Stephen Rockower, former president of MedChi, the Maryland State Medical Society, was the evening’s second speaker. He shared a powerful story about how 1,500 Maryland physicians banded together, contacted their political representatives about proposed legislation that would limit physician testimonies in malpractice cases. Ultimately, the bill was struck down 15 minutes before the scheduled vote. His story epitomizes the strength of organized medicine, the power of numbers, connection, and closely aligned values to drive healthcare in a positive direction.

The event concluded with a few words from Fred Taweel, MD, chief medical officer of Privia Medical Group — Mid-Atlantic, who focused largely on how primary care physicians are banding together to offer better patient experiences and decrease the rising tides of physicians burnout. His talk concluded on an optimistic note: “We have the opportunity to dial things in and work with large conglomerate organizations to make everything better for us, for patients, and for the nation.”
Want to learn more? Read Dr. Taweel’s blog post on what his parents’ small business taught him about managing his practice (and what skills you can leverage to benefit your practice)!