Dennis Dahlen: It’s time to look at what’s working — and what isn’t — in reducing care costs
There’s a surprising phenomenon taking place in Medicare spending — and it points to the need to look deeper when it comes to healthcare cost containment. For years, Medicare was viewed as the nation’s “budget buster,” with spending spiraling so quickly that some budget experts predicted no amount of tax money could sustain it. And…
Puerto Rico Chapter signs collaborative agreement
HFMA’s Puerto Rico Chapter recently joined forces with Puerto Rico’s College of Health Services Administrators to address challenges and opportunities in the field of health services administration. The relationship was made official when the two groups signed a collaborative agreement on Sept. 15 during the Chapter’s Annual Healthcare Update in Isla Verde, Puerto Rico. The…
HFMA member Michael Bumann shares experience as Burning Man medic
Thanks to unprecedented heavy rain, thousands who attended the 2023 Burning Man event Aug. 27-Sept. 4 in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert found themselves literally stuck in the mud. For HFMA member Michael Bumann, it was a transformative experience. Bumann, of Olympic Valley, California, is the founder and CEO of RedDot, a company that specializes in…
Dennis Dahlen: It’s time to stop dragging our feet on generative AI
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is a tool that a recent study found is “nearly as good as recent med school graduates” at making clinical decisions, and it’s having a breakout year across industries, a McKinsey analysis shows.1 Yet few healthcare leaders have a strategy for solutions like ChatGPT — and it’s past time to develop…
Phoenix Children’s selects Michelle Bruhn as new CFO
Phoenix Children’s — Arizona’s only freestanding children’s hospital — recently hired Michelle Bruhn, CPA, as executive vice president and CFO. In the new position, Bruhn will oversee finance, treasury, revenue cycle and managed care contracting as well as be directly responsible for fiscal policy, performance goals and planning. Bruhn most recently served as executive vice…
HCA CFO, William Rutherford, says healthcare finance leaders should have a patient focus
To be able to consistently perform at the highest levels, health system CFOs must have a strong commitment to clear and specific guiding principles. So says William Rutherford, CPA, CFO and executive vice president of Nashville, Tennessee-based HCA Healthcare, the largest healthcare system (by gross and net revenues) in the United States. And for Rutherford,…
Summary: 10 vital responses to healthcare disruption
Note: This article is a summary of a report on HFMA’s Spring Thought Leadership Retreat. The full report is available to download. Disruption is reverberating throughout the healthcare industry, and it’s incumbent on legacy organizations to develop strategic responses for the benefit of their consumers, their communities and themselves. With that overarching challenge becoming ever…
Heffernan and Stoll honored with 2023 Morgan Awards
HFMA’s highest individual award — the Frederick C. Morgan Award for Individual Achievement — is awarded annually to a member who has made outstanding contributions to the Association over the course of a career. For only the third time since the award was first presented in 1959, two members received the special honor when the…
Dennis Dahlen: It’s time to be biased toward action
We’re in an extraordinary period of discovery and innovation in healthcare, from a breakthrough treatment that delays the onset of Type 1 diabetes to the potential to use advanced artificial intelligence (AI) to help patients manage their health. But embracing the promise of innovation within our organizations depends on our ability to lead teams to…
Key questions for providers after more than 2 years of the price transparency rule
Evidence amassed from over two years of experience with compliance reinforces why providers need to focus on chargemaster prices and self-pay discount policies — and how they can benefit from analyzing trends in consumers’ price searches.