2024 outlook: Hospitals can expect a steadier year financially, but key questions loom
Although the past year brought more stability for the not-for-profit hospital sector, analysts foresee 2024 as a pivotal period in determining the viability of individual organizations. Fitch Ratings continues to describe the sector’s outlook as “Deteriorating.” In a year-end report, the credit-rating agency said downgrades of hospitals and health systems in 2023 had outpaced upgrades…
Healthcare News of Note: What topics did healthcare finance professionals find of most interest in 2023?
Workforce issues drew the most engagement in HFMA’s Healthcare News of Note blog Three of the 10 most-read Healthcare News of Note blog posts of 2023 were workforce-related, making it the No. 1 topic sparking blog readers’ interest. Those stories were: 7 stories round out the top 10 of 2023 Additional topics that piqued reader…
HFMA strategy session highlights challenges and opportunities for healthcare finance leaders: payer relations, supply costs, AI and more
The legacy healthcare provider’s position in the industry could grow tenuous if leaders don’t respond boldly and strategically to ongoing trends, according to insights recently presented to HFMA leaders. “We’re at a crossroads right now,” Ashraf Shehata, principal and U.S. national sector leader for healthcare and life sciences with KPMG, said in November during a…
Healthcare Blame Game: Why CFOs should build media relationships
In a recent episode of HFMA’s “Healthcare Blame Game” podcast, Jim Heffernan, a retired CFO and current CFO emeritus of Massachusetts General Physicians Organization, shared four key pieces of advice for CFOs.
Healthcare Blame Game: TIME hits the mark, Modern Healthcare misses, and a longtime HFMA member talks about why CFOs should build media relationships
Brad speaks with retired CFO and longtime HFMA member Jim Heffernan about why CFOs should be at the forefront of telling an organization’s financial story.
Jill Geisler: Tips on how to be an accessible, approachable leader
Ask people about the leaders they most admire, and they’re likely to describe someone who’s not only smart and strategic, but also approachable and accessible. Those respected leaders make that aura of warmth and welcome look easy, but we know the real story. It’s hard work. And it isn’t getting easier. Tackling business, technology, regulatory…
Kaleida Health taps Matthew Drake and Hugh Chisholm for new roles
Two HFMA fellows have been appointed to new leadership positions at Kaleida Health, the largest healthcare provider in Western New York. Matthew Drake, FHFMA, MBA, is the health system’s new executive vice president of strategy and partnerships. Drake, a member of HFMA’s Rochester Regional Chapter, previously was Kaleida’s executive vice president and CFO. Prior to…
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…
10 Keys to Restoring Trust in Healthcare
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, a glut of misinformation about vaccines and other treatments, and data and privacy breaches. To examine the problem and explore solutions, HFMA’s 16th…