Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1543966
23 RCM LEADER ADVERTISINGINDEX Note: Ad page number(s) given in parentheses Impact Advisors. impact-advisors.com (pg. 24) Xenco Medical. xencomedical.com (pg. 2) The leadership skills revenue cycle executives need now By Andrew Cass A sk a Revenue Cycle Leader is a new series featuring insights from health system and hospital revenue cycle executives nationwide. Becker's poses questions on the most pressing issues in healthcare finance — from payer relations and automation to workforce and patient experience. We welcome responses from all revenue cycle, finance and reimbursement leaders. Question: What is the most important leadership skill for revenue cycle leaders right now? Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length. Lynn Ansley. Vice President of Revenue Cycle Management at Moffitt Cancer Center (Tampa, Fla.): Technical acumen is essential for today's revenue cycle leaders, not just as a competency but as a strategic accelerator. As we expand automation, leverage AI and optimize increasingly complex EHR-driven workflows, leaders must understand how technology shapes every step of the revenue cycle to drive best-in-class performance. at depth of understanding enables leaders to translate data into action, harness automation to manage rising encounter volumes without adding FTEs and ensure teams can pivot quickly as we continue accelerating through change. When technical fluency is paired with our Energy Bus culture — rooted in purpose, ownership and continuous improvement — leaders are better equipped to empower their teams, reduce friction and optimize reimbursement to find a cure faster. Blake Evans. System Vice President of Revenue Cycle at Rush University System for Health (Chicago): e most important leadership skill for revenue cycle leaders right now is adaptive, data-driven change leadership paired with strong storytelling. With constant payer changes, workforce pressures and accelerating AI adoption, leaders must not only understand the data but translate it into a clear narrative that connects day-to-day KPIs to their real impact on net revenue and organizational sustainability. Storytelling turns metrics into meaning, helping your team, physicians and executives understand why the work matters and how change improves outcomes. Ultimately, leaders who can align data, performance and purpose build trust and drive execution in an increasingly volatile environment. Erin Miller. Vice President of Revenue Cycle Integration at Hackensack Meridian Health (Edison, N.J.): Effective leaders in today's environment are those who can distill chaos into clear priorities. ey possess the ability to si through numerous competing demands and identify the top few that are most critical, articulating the reasons for their importance. When a leader actively drives these priorities, projects and a shared vision, they empower their teams. is guidance is crucial for teams that might otherwise become paralyzed by noise, new projects and numerous initiatives. Ultimately, a clear vision with corresponding priorities is a powerful tool for fostering team effectiveness. Greg Wiles. Interim Assistant Vice President of Revenue Cycle at Riverview Health (Noblesville, Ind.): e revenue cycle has always been complex, but today's environment is redefining that complexity. Workforce instability, rising denials, payer unpredictability and rapid advances in automation are reshaping operations faster than many organizations can adapt. In this landscape, one leadership capability stands out: flexible decision-making. Leaders must be able to make sound decisions based on the data, technology, staffing realities and regulatory requirements in front of them—not the conditions that existed six months ago. e pace of change is simply too great to remain anchored to past choices. We all know change is constant, data is noisy, technology is accelerating, cash flow is under pressure, and perhaps most importantly, teams need clarity. Leaders who excel at flexible decision-making pilot ideas quickly, communicate the rationale ("the why") and outcomes with total transparency. ey stay curious and adjust course as new information emerges — whether that shi is driven by data, technology, staffing or regulatory updates. In a rapidly evolving revenue cycle, flexibility isn't optional. It's the leadership skill that keeps teams aligned, resilient and moving forward. n