HFMA recognizes the winners of its 2020-2021 Best Article Award

The award-winning articles were selected by a panel of five leaders in the healthcare industry who review each expert-reviewed article published in hfm.

HFMA is pleased to recognize the winners and runners-up of the Helen Yerger/L. Vann Seawell Best Article Award for outstanding editorial achievement in hfm magazine in fiscal year 2020-2021. Articles are judged on the writers’ demonstration of technical quality and writing skills and contributions to the literature of healthcare finance professionals.

Best articles

The following three articles are the FY21 recipients of HFMA’s Best Article Award. The runners-up are recognized together.

BEST ARTICLE | May 2021 hfm

“The economics of a telehealth visit: A time-based study at Penn Medicine”

By Neil Ravitz, MBA, Sean Looby, MHA, Calvin Jordan, MBA, and Andrew Kanoff, MHA

Summary: Research into the costs of delivering telehealth versus in-person visits by the Department of Orthopaedics at Penn Medicine sought to answer the health system's questions about the long-term economic viability of telemedicine services, and to help inform their conversations with payers about how much they should appropriately be paid for the services.

BEST ARTICLE | October 2020 hfm

“Telemedicine is exploding, but where is the ROI for health systems?”

By Ezra Mehlman, MBA, and Dave Tamburri, MBA

Summary: As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, telehealth has gained broader acceptance and use than was seen at any time prior to the pandemic. Yet barriers and challenges continue to impede its widespread adoption. Economic models used by leading health systems provide insight into how to overcome these barriers to achieve a successful ongoing virtual enterprise.

BEST ARTICLE | September 2020 hfm

“How to develop a winning pricing strategy in the post-COVID-19 consumer market”

By Kevin Sears, MHA, and Christopher Sukenik, MBA

Summary: Providers and health plans should prepare for federally imposed price transparency mandates by developing comprehensive pricing strategies tailored to their specific market positions, financials and operational objectives. These organizations should consider key implications of the price transparency rule and market trends when designing such a strategy.

Runners-up, Best Article

Summer 2020 hfm

“How to leverage the telemedicine surge to create a profitable telehealth model”

By Lucy Zielinski and Daniel J. Marino

Summary: Healthcare finance leaders can help their organizations establish profitable telehealth programs following the COVID-19 pandemic by focusing now on the economic and operational drivers that will determine the success or failure of such programs.

Summer 2020 hfm

“Optimal use of APPs can enhance a health system’s post-COVID-19 financial recovery”

By Zachary Hartsell, DHA, PA-C, Dane Ficco and Laurie English

Summary: A strategy by Excela Health in Pennsylvania, which focused on integrating and optimizing the advanced practice provider workforce, offers a practical road map for how best to pursue such an undertaking.

February 2021 hfm

“340B Program success depends on the quality of self-auditing”

By Brian Matney,  CHFP, CPA

Summary: Healthcare organizations participating in the 340B Drug Pricing Program should self-audit their compliance with the program to ensure its ongoing success and effectiveness.