Healthcare Financial Management Association Chair Calls on Finance Leaders to Focus on Diversity, Inclusion and Health Equity

Minneapolis (November 10, 2021) – In a speech at a major conference, Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) 2021-22 Chair Tammie L. Jackson, FHFMA, MHA, CHFP, called on healthcare finance leaders to focus on reducing healthcare disparities and promoting health equity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which she referred to as a before-and-after event. “Health disparities have long been part of our ‘before’ narrative, well researched and documented for decades,” said Jackson, “No matter  your role in this industry, there is much we can each do to make bold decisions and promote health equity. If we are well informed, well educated and well intentioned, our future looks brighter. As an industry, we can be better than we were before.”

Jackson, HFMA’s first Black Board Chair, also emphasized the need to raise awareness of the micro-aggressions and implicit biases against various marginalized groups that are manifested in the contemporary workplace and bring about change. Addressing finance professionals assembled in Minneapolis and virtually for HFMA’s Annual Conference, Jackson said, “We have to widen the lens to make room for people who may not fit in, who may not look like us, or who may have a different skill set or background. I am talking about many kinds of diversity, not just racial diversity.”

In her role as the chief elected officer of HFMA, Jackson is responsible for providing overall direction to the Association by actions such as establishing policies, appointing key leaders, planning educational programs and representing the Association at various events.  Her term began on June 1, 2021.

Jackson is also vice president of TransUnion Healthcare. In that capacity, she leads the company’s go-to-market strategy and client-facing functions across the provider, payer and life-sciences domains. In a previous position as associate vice president at Conifer Health Solutions, Jackson focused on implementing value-based care strategies. 

“Over the past six years, Tammie has brought invaluable insights and perspectives to her role as a voluntary director on the Association Board,” said HFMA President and CEO Joseph J. Fifer, FHFMA, CPA. “It’s serendipitous that her term as chair coincides with a time when issues of diversity, equity and inclusion are being elevated both within HFMA and throughout the healthcare industry.”

A member of HFMA since 2002, Jackson has served the Association on the National Advisory Council and the National Board of Directors. She has also held several leadership roles in HFMA’s South Texas Chapter, culminating in president, and has served as chair and member of various committees for HFMA’s Gulf Coast, First Illinois and South Texas chapters.

Jackson has received several HFMA awards, including the William G. Follmer Bronze Award, the Robert H. Reeves Silver Award, the Frederick T. Muncie Gold Award and the Founders Medal of Honor. She is a Certified Healthcare Finance Professional and a Fellow of HFMA.

She holds a master’s degree in health administration from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Florida Atlantic University.

Other HFMA Board officers include Chair-elect Aaron R. Crane, FHFMA, executive vice president, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle; Secretary-Treasurer Dennis E. Dahlen, CHFP, CPA, CFO, Mayo Clinic; and HFMA President and CEO Joseph J. Fifer, FHFMA, CPA.

About HFMA

The Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) equips its more than 75,000 members nationwide to navigate a complex healthcare landscape. Finance professionals in the full range of work settings, including hospitals, health systems, physician practices and health plans, trust HFMA to provide the guidance and tools to help them lead their organizations, and the industry, forward. HFMA is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan organization that advances healthcare by collaborating with other key stakeholders to address industry challenges and providing guidance, education, practical tools and solutions, and thought leadership. We lead the financial management of healthcare.