Jeni Williams
About the Author
Jeni Williams
Jeni Williams is a national award-winning writer with nearly 30 years of experience in healthcare writing, reporting and editing. She is also a former healthcare editor-in-chief and has worked as a newspaper reporter and as a public relations specialist for a county-owned health system. In 2025, Jeni earned the award of "Best Body of Work: Freelance Journalist" from the American Society of Business Publication Editors. She also earned a gold award from ASBPE for a special report she wrote for HFMA on the need for greater payer-provider collaboration in healthcare, "Bridging the Payer-Provider Divide."
Latest Work
Value-based care adoption grows, but challenges remain
In 2006, two renowned researchers introduced “The Value Equation” for healthcare: Value = Quality/Cost. It was the first step toward bringing the healthcare industry together in acknowledging two of the industry’s ugly truths. Costs of care were outpacing the quality of care received, yet the healthcare system was built around a fee-for-service payment model that…
Price transparency in healthcare: Progress, barriers and next steps
Healthcare price transparency — the ability for consumers to understand how much their care will cost and how much they can expect to pay after insurance has paid its portion — is a top-of-mind concern for consumers. It’s also an area of increased focus for legislators and healthcare organizations. Yet despite industry acknowledgement that consumers…
Financial sustainability is biggest pain point for healthcare leaders
If Claire Agnew could help healthcare boards understand one thing about healthcare finance, it’s the complexity finance leaders face in ensuring hospitals and health systems have the resources they need to deliver great care. “It’s brutal and much like dancing backward in high heels,” said Agnew, MBA, CPA, executive vice president and CFO for Valleywise…
Why claim denials are rising and how providers are responding
Payment for healthcare services starts with a claim that details what type of care the patient received, why and the amount charged by a hospital or provider for these services. From there, the claim is typically sent to the patient’s health plan for reimbursement. But the path to reimbursement for healthcare claims has become much…
Soaring charity care grabs hospital leaders’ attention
Across the country, hospitals are reexamining their approach to uncompensated care, with first movers in this space increasing the availability of financial assistance and working harder to reduce the chances that an account will be sent to collections. And now, new data paints a picture of the collective impact of these efforts and other trends…
Community benefit, 340B and Medicare Advantage: Top financial reporting challenges
Nonprofit hospitals are facing scrutiny over their community benefit reporting, the 340B Drug Pricing Program is under threat, and there is a need for greater transparency in Medicare Advantage and Medicaid managed care plans.
The Healthcare CFO of the Future: Turning risk into opportunity
The role of the healthcare CFO is evolving — and so are the skills needed for success. Here, CFOs and industry experts explore the new competencies CFOs must possess and how leaders in this space are preparing for the future.
Bridging the payer-provider divide
No one wins when there is animosity between health plans and healthcare providers, least of all patients. They often must wait months to find out whether care will be covered and what their out-of-pocket cost will be as payers and providers negotiate the details.
UChicago Medicine grows into role of AI innovator
UChicago Medicine discovered that they are ahead of other healthcare institutions in their use of AI for revenue cycle, and they are focusing on using AI to strengthen business outcomes, supporting a culture of AI innovation, implementing a governance framework, and measuring and optimizing performance.
Incoming HFMA Chair Marc Scher encourages healthcare finance professionals to be more innovative and strategic
Marc Scher, HFMA’s incoming National Chair, was touring the Colorado Snowsports Museum when he came across an exhibit dedicated to the 10th Mountain Division of the U.S. Army. The 10th was a strategic innovation for the Army, designed to address emerging wartime risks, and it created a significant competitive advantage for the United States during…