Reinventing physician training, with AMGA President Jerry Penso, M.D., MBA, and Practicing Excellence founder Stephen Beeson, M.D.

Health systems and medical groups are fighting the same three-headed problem: money, access and staffing.

In this episode, American Medical Group Association (AMGA) President and CEO Jerry Penso, M.D., MBA, and Practicing Excellence founder Stephen Beeson, M.D., discuss their new partnership meant to strengthen physician development without pulling clinicians out of the exam room.

They explain why traditional half-day seminars have lost their edge, how context-driven micro-coaching powered by artificial intelligence (AI) fits into daily clinical workflows and how organizations should measure success — including turnover, burnout, engagement and patient experience.

Don’t miss our recent episodes on what we get wrong about vaccine hesitancy, concierge medicine, physician engagement and vaccine skepticism.

Music Credits:
Groovy 90s Hip Hop Acid Jazz by Musinova - stock.adobe.com
A Textbook Example by Skip Peck - stock.adobe.com

Editor's note: Episode timestamps and transcript produced using AI tools.

0:00 — Cold open
Why growth and development are becoming central to retention.

0:33 — Intro
Austin Littrell sets up the partnership and what’s at stake for practices and health systems.

1:39 — The partnership, in plain terms
Keith Reynolds opens: what does the partnership entail?

1:56 — AMGA’s “top three” problems
Finances, access and workforce—and why workforce is the root issue.

3:32 — Why human development, why now
Beeson on creating cultures where people feel seen, supported and want to stay.

5:10 — Why AMGA chose Practicing Excellence
Members want solutions; AMGA vets partners through set criteria.

6:19 — The new “must-have” for retention
Clinicians increasingly choose organizations where they can grow and “ascend.”

7:21 — What feels different vs. traditional training
Why half-day seminars and PowerPoints don’t meet the moment.

8:34 — “Context is king”
Personalized, in-work learning that actually changes behavior.

11:12 — Beyond “see one, do one, teach one”
Why clinician development needs new tools in a faster-changing system.

12:10 — How AMGA members access it
Already used by 30 member organizations; AMGA facilitates and offers discounted rates.

13:20 — P2 Management Minute promo (mid-roll)
Keith Reynolds invites listener tips and submissions.

14:13 — What the coaching looks like in practice
Four domains: patient experience, team engagement, leadership effectiveness, clinical excellence/high reliability.

17:27 — Measuring success
Turnover, burnout, engagement surveys, outcomes tracking, use analytics and CME.

20:59 — Scorecards and culture
Why successful orgs define metrics and support clinicians with real tools.

22:53 — “One more tool” problem
Why it’s designed to fit into workflow in minutes/seconds at a time.

25:34 — Trust, guardrails and governance
AI governance expectations from member organizations.

26:36 — Security posture + no patient data claim
SOC 2 in progress; “no patient information” in the ecosystem.

27:38 — Final thoughts
“What got you here won’t get you there,” and a people-first closing.

29:52 — Outro
Wrap-up, subscribe CTA, production credits.