2024 Success Awards recognize outstanding HFMA chapter achievements
Just over 500 chapter and regional volunteers attended HFMA’s 2024 Leadership Training Conference, which took place April 21-23 in Orlando, Fla. Attendees participated in role-specific training sessions, exchanged ideas with colleagues from around the country and developed chapter plans for the upcoming fiscal year. General session speakers included HFMA President and CEO Ann Jordan, National…
Ascension selects Saurabh Tripathi as new CFO
Ascension, a nonprofit Catholic health system based in St. Louis, Mo., recently announced that Saurabh Tripathi, MBA, has been tapped as its new CFO. Tripathi brings more than 25 years of executive experience to the position, including time as CFO and treasurer of Highmark Health, where he led growth initiatives and increased access to care.…
Decisive action is key to an ‘always forward’ mindset
It was a training camp that even the most elite athletes struggled to endure: Camp Hale, a WWII winter training ground in central Colorado. The valley floor alone sits at an elevation of 9,200 feet, while the elevation of the mountain ridges where the U.S. Army trained skiers in combat reached nearly 13,000 feet. It’s…
Jill Geisler: How to give feedback to your boss
It was a wonderful event. The executive who promoted me and other women into management when it was still a rarity (this was the early ‘80s) was receiving an award for his efforts. In his acceptance, he told the audience, “You’re honoring me for being selfish. I want only the best people on my team,…
Maryland’s example is no solution to healthcare’s true crises
In the wake of Medicare’s enactment in 1965, healthcare costs in the United States began rising at double-digit rates annually.a Many policy experts blamed hospital costs, which by 1980 had reached almost 41% of health spending.b It was believed that if you contained hospital costs, overall health spending would come under control. In 1974, the…
David Johnson: Site-neutral payment and the battle for healthcare’s soul
In a remarkable and surprising show of bipartisanship, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act on Dec. 11, 2023, by an overwhelming 320-71 vote. Avoiding hyperbole, the act lives up to its name. It seeks to equalize Medicare payment for the same drugs administered in the same way, whether in…
Demonstrating revenue cycle excellence just got easier with the newest HFMA certification
The Executive of Healthcare Revenue Cycle (EHRC) certification, HFMA’s newest member recognition, has been quite popular with members since it was announced in mid-February. As of March 31, 22 HFMA members had applied for the EHRC certification and 18 members earned it, demonstrating excellence in revenue cycle, said Shirley Heavlin, certification operations manager for HFMA.…
News Briefs: Hospital advocates bemoan the small Medicare payment increase proposed for FY25
The payment update described in Medicare’s FY25 proposed rule for inpatient hospital care and long-term care hospitals falls well short of what hospitals need to keep up with costs, advocates say. The inpatient payment rate would rise by 2.6% for hospitals that fulfill quality-reporting requirements and meet the criteria to be designated as meaningful users…
Navigating toward successful contract negotiations with health plans
A group of healthcare leaders discuss various tactics they are using to negotiate better rates with payers and ensure payers’ commitment to accurate, timely payment.
People: Atlantic General and BSMH announce CFO transitions
Atlantic General Hospital and Health System in Berlin, Md., has hired James Kanuch, CHFP, MBA, as vice president of finance and CFO. Kanuch, a member of HFMA’s Maryland Chapter, brings 30 years of financial and operational experience to the new role. Most recently, he served as senior vice president of finance at Allegheny Health Network…