Chicago (July 13, 2022) – Joseph J. Fifer, FHFMA, CPA, president and chief executive officer of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA), has announced to staff and HFMA members that he will retire on June 1, 2023.
Fifer has been president and chief executive officer of HFMA since June 2012. During his tenure, HFMA membership has grown from 37,000 to more than 89,000, an increase of 140%. Fifer spearheaded the development of an organizational membership model that extends educational and other membership benefits to finance teams in a wide range of healthcare organizations. He also oversaw the introduction of international membership.
Fifer envisions a future where healthcare providers’ commitment to delivering high-value healthcare and improving health equity enables them to improve lives and pass savings through to care purchasers; where healthcare stakeholders are focused on achieving cost effectiveness of health, not just healthcare; and where the patient financial experience is built around consumer needs. Over the past 10 years, Fifer’s team has developed extensive resources for finance leaders in these areas and collaborated with various industry groups toward achievement of these goals. Fifer is a key architect and champion of HFMA’s industry-consensus best practices for improving price transparency, patient financial communications and medical account resolution, among other strategic initiatives.
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to serve healthcare finance leaders during a time of transformational change in the industry,” said Fifer, reflecting on his time leading HFMA. “I’ve been fortunate to work with some of the brightest and most dedicated people in this field. During the next year, I look forward to advancing our strategic priorities and planning for a seamless transition.”
Fifer brought more than 30 years of executive leadership experience to his position at HFMA, including 12 years at Spectrum Health, now BHSH Health.
“Joe has a gift for change leadership and a passion for improving experiences, both for healthcare consumers and for HFMA members,” said HFMA 2022-23 Board Chair Aaron R, Crane, FHFMA, CPA. “Both HFMA and the healthcare field will benefit from the strategic initiatives he has implemented and those he has set in motion for years to come. The entire HFMA Board has asked me to convey their appreciation to Joe for combining his visionary leadership with a steady hand on the helm.”
With the announcement, HFMA will soon begin its search for a successor. A search committee has been formed of volunteer leaders with diverse HFMA and industry experience to best represent the association’s members in this effort. This committee will work with a search firm to identify and assess potential candidates.
About HFMA
With more than 89,000 members, the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) is the nation’s premier membership organization for healthcare finance leaders. HFMA builds and supports coalitions with other healthcare associations and industry groups to achieve consensus on solutions for the challenges the U.S. healthcare system faces today. Working with a broad cross-section of stakeholders, HFMA identifies gaps throughout the healthcare delivery system and bridges them through the establishment and sharing of knowledge and best practices. We help healthcare stakeholders achieve optimal results by creating and providing education, analysis, and practical tools and solutions. Our mission is to lead the financial management of healthcare.
