Dennis Dahlen: It’s time to deepen trust in the patient financial experience
“Healthcare is a journey. It’s not a single episode of care. Especially in cardiology, where the relationships we develop with patients are lifelong, we want to make sure they trust not just their doctor, but the entire organization.” So believes one of the standout speakers from HFMA’s 2024 Revenue Cycle Conference in San Diego: Larami…
Iowa Chapter celebrates 70th anniversary
Mid-January 2024 was a notable time for members of HFMA’s Iowa Chapter. Things kicked off with a blizzard. Then there was a second blizzard and a presidential caucus. It was a lot for one week, but that wasn’t all. The real highlight took place on Jan. 17 when the Chapter gathered in the Des Moines…
Brenda Chilman: A positive patient experience starts with the revenue cycle
Bookended by her first job at the CPA firm Arthur Andersen and her current job, 30+ years later, just down the road at SSM Health, Brenda Chilman has had a strong and far-flung career in healthcare finance. Her journey — which has taken her from St. Louis to Denver to Baltimore and, full circle, back…
Hospitals reached steadier ground financially as they moved into 2024
Hospitals came into 2024 with some financial momentum, even as expenses continued to rise and pivotal decisions loomed. The year-to-date median hospital operating margin reached 2.3% in December, the high mark for 2023 and the 10th consecutive month in which margins were positive, according to monthly data from Syntellis Performance Solutions, part of Strata Decision…
We all have trauma. Here’s how to take it to work in a healthy way.
Dr. Sadie Elisseou, a practicing VA physician and instructor at Harvard Medical School and Boston University School of Medicine, talks about trauma-informed healthcare in and out of the exam room.
10 keys to restoring trust in healthcare: a summary
Note: This article was adapted from a report on HFMA’s 2023 Fall Thought Leadership Retreat. The full report is available for downloading. The issue of restoring consumer trust in the U.S. healthcare system encompasses a wide range of concerns. Factors in the perceived loss of trust include anxiety and confusion over costs, entrenched inequity, misinformation…
Sanford Health selects Scott Wooten as CFO
Following a comprehensive national search, Sanford Health in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has named Scott Wooten, MBA, FACHE, as executive vice president and CFO. Wooten is a seasoned finance leader in the nonprofit healthcare sector. Prior to joining Sanford, he led Wooten Strategic Advisors, providing consulting services to physician groups, health systems, insurance companies, retail…
Jill Geisler: 8 proactive ways to keep your top performers engaged
Here’s to the best performers on your team. Their high standards, reliability, creativity and problem-solving skills are a joy to behold. They’re your self-starters, your pacesetters, your go-to people — the ones who’d leave a big hole in the operation if you lost them. And you surely don’t want to lose them. That’s why managers…
Dennis Dahlen: New year, not-so-new struggles call for revamped approach
In January, 8,000 investors, innovators and market participants gathered in San Francisco for the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. This gathering has become a required event for healthcare leaders to take stock of the industry. You could feel the pulse of the conference accelerate during key moments, like when comments from an FDA regulator led to…
Alan Lovelace: Healthcare CFOs require stamina to respond to post-COVID pressure
What can modern hospital or health system CFOs do to keep their organizations on a stable financial footing in the financially fraught post-COVID-19 era? In answering this question, most CFOs will begin by telling horror stories and tales of woe involving revenue squeezes and expense proliferations. Pressures come from everywhere, including: It’s tough being a…