HFMA, it’s time for action!
We’ve all been in situations where the time was right, where conditions were optimal or good enough to suggest the best opportunity for action. Growing up on a dairy farm, I learned early that nature exerted a stronger hand on our schedules and work than anything humans could muster. Weather was, of course, a constant…
Marcus Whitney: Banking struggles are limiting healthcare innovation
T here has not been much ado in the healthcare world about the failure of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), but maybe there should be. Once considered the go-to bank for startups, SVB was the target of a bank run March 9 driven by news of their held-to- maturity bonds being underwater, and it was taken over by…
Multiple certifications earned by 37
A total of 2,079 people earned HFMA certifications from Jan. 1 through March 31, with 37 earning multiple certifications. The HFMA certifications are as follows: Certified Healthcare Financial Professional (CHFP), Certified Revenue Cycle Representative (CRCR), Certified Revenue Cycle Representative (CRCR) – GCC, Certified Specialist Accounting & Finance (CSAF), Certified Specialist Business Intelligence (CSBI), Certified Specialist…
Joe Fifer: A key takeaway from my long career
My last column. I have rewritten it dozens of times in my head. I couldn’t settle on a thought or a theme that seemed appropriate. Then I remembered the HFMA board dinner with Sue Petru, a past National Board member. The occasion was our winter board retreat in Tampa this year. It’s our custom to invite…
Ken Perez: 3 strategic options hospitals can use to repair today’s negative margins
The year 2022 has been characterized by some economists as being the worst financial year for U.S. hospitals in decades as expense growth has outpaced revenue increases. As a result, many hospitals and health systems have a pressing need to launch initiatives that can effectively repair their negative operating margins.a Labor shortages and inflation demand…
Chapter News: Northern California Chapter’s new award honors outstanding women
The Northern California Chapter’s annual women’s conferences have always been popular events. And this year’s conference, which took place May 5 at the Crow Canyon Country Club in Danville, California, was especially celebratory. That’s because the Chapter marked the event’s 10th anniversary by introducing a new award recognizing women leaders. “Our Chapter wanted to develop…
Steven Berger: Reflections on ‘Voice of Experience’ words of wisdom, year 1
In this first anniversary of the “Voice of Experience” column, it is an appropriate time to revisit the suggestions and insights shared by the eight hospital/health systems healthcare executives who have been long-standing members of HFMA and were featured in hfm magazine. Significantly, among the five guiding principles each leader shared, three stand out, having…
David Johnson: The orthopod’s dilemma — Caught between the PE rock and the venture capital hard place
The OrthoForum is the premier convening and advocacy organization for large, independent orthopedic physician groups. In March 2022, I gave a keynote address at The OrthoForum’s Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida. Attending the conference at the posh Grande Lakes Ritz-Carlton gave me a front-row seat to the economic forces reshaping orthopedic care delivery in the…
Jill Geisler: Leaders need to master the art of strategic interruption
We know that clear, effective communication is an essential leadership skill. Your messages convey a vision for the team. They describe what success looks like. They rally the troops. They also can make or break someone’s day. That’s why it’s important to be thoughtful about your approach to communication ― like knowing when and how…
Susan Dentzer: Perspectives differ on Medicare’s 2 houses
Drive through rural New England and you’ll see them: “connected farms,” cobbling together houses, sheds, barns and outbuildings in disjointed structures. Often centuries old, they are at once unlovely, yet exude charm. To me, they’re a perfect metaphor for the jumble of Medicare. How else does one describe a program that baffles new enrollees as…