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The Arizona and Iowa Chapters held their second joint virtual HFMA certification bootcamp in July, where an estimated 373 participants signed up to prepare for the Certified Healthcare Finance Professional (CHFP) exam. “Virtual events allow us to reach a wider audience, making participation more accessible across all chapters and regions,” said Nicole Helfrich, the former…

As giants in the world of technology, Epic’s Judy Faulkner and Alphabet’s Ruth Porat are among America’s most prominent business leaders. In keynote addresses delivered three days apart in August, they offered sharply differing perspectives on AI’s emergent capabilities — and starkly different ideas regarding its application to healthcare. For me, the differences call to…

Hospital executives across the country are increasingly frustrated with rising denial rates from payers. At a recent HFMA conference, revenue cycle leaders voiced concerns about what they perceive to be bad-faith payer denial practices. Although such frustrations have some validity, hospital leaders will accomplish little if they focus solely on payer behavior. Instead, they should…

Healthcare systems are plagued by fragmented silos that result in suboptimal outcomes and increased costs, but by assigning a directly responsible individual and using real-time dashboards, health systems can optimize overall performance and improve quality of care.

In today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, one truth remains clear: A health system’s ability to achieve long-term success hinges on its people and the extent to which they feel their organization cares about them. While health systems clearly must make significant investments in technology and operational efficiency, they also cannot afford to lose sight of…

The phrase “only in America” usually refers to the upside of national exceptionalism, but in the context of healthcare, the meaning is often negative. That’s the case with current efforts to cut Medicaid — now the nation’s largest healthcare program in terms of enrollment — to pay for large tax cuts that will primarily benefit…

“Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.” — Dalai Lama To get ahead of change, we must embrace it. This principle is central to my HFMA Chair’s theme, “Lead Now,” and was echoed throughout HFMA’s Annual Conference. The rapid pace of technological advancement is transforming every aspect of healthcare operations…

Open to all members this year, HFMA’s 2025 Leadership Summit gathered over 650 participants, including chapter and regional volunteers and others in Nashville, Tenn., May 4-6. Attendees participated in content tracks from effective communication skills to strategies for building innovative and high-performing teams. They also celebrated the 2025 Success Award recipients. General session speakers included…

This month marks the 50th anniversary of my start in the healthcare industry. In August 1975, I began a job with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Greater New York (now known as Empire Healthcare Services) as a Medicare cost report auditor, a position that impacted the final Medicare reimbursements for every hospital across the…