Becker's Hospital Review

22 RCM LEADER From billing experts to team building: How RCM leadership has evolved By Madeline Scheetz L ike many roles in healthcare, revenue cycle leadership has evolved over the years, with a focus on developing a high- performing and educated team as the technology landscape becomes increasingly prevalent. "When I started in the industry, revenue cycle wasn't quite a thing," Paul Chausse Jr., senior vice president of revenue cycle and chief revenue cycle officer at Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital, said on Becker's "CFO and Revenue Cycle Podcast." "You were a biller. You were a patient accounts person. We became technical masters, and that's how you got promoted into leadership. Leadership was second." Mr. Chausse said that model has flipped, with many revenue cycle leaders now coming out of school with MBAs and certain leadership frameworks that can carry advantages. However, he argued it is time on the floor, not just the education, that helps get the work done. His advice to young leaders entering the revenue cycle workforce: Practice patience, tackle the learning curves head on and work to understand exactly what the people you manage are doing. "ey still have to spend time learning how the sauce is actually made," he said. "e other nonnegotiable for this next generation is deep AI fluency. … e leaders who will win are the ones that combine technical [knowledge] along with good leadership and AI forward thinking." Lynn Ansley, vice president of revenue cycle management at Moffitt Cancer Center, echoed Mr. Chausse's thoughts. With 13 years at Moffitt, Ms. Ansley has seen up close and personal the ways RCM leadership has evolved. "We think of ourselves as technical experts," she said on Becker's "CFO and Revenue Cycle Podcast." "To be honest, to be an effective RCM leader, it's a little bit less about what you know and it's how you lead others through what you know." Ms. Ansley said when she first dove into revenue cycle work, someone gave her a piece of advice that stuck: "It's not about knowing all the things. It's about asking the right questions." is advice has stuck with her for the last decade. "Revenue cycle management is a mammoth when you talk about headcount and process," she said. "To lead an effective team, it's to really just know where your experts are, but to focus on your leadership skill. I always say, 'First who, then what.' A great revenue cycle is nothing without its people." n 6 health systems outsourcing RCM functions By Andrew Cass H ere are six hospitals and health systems that have outsourced finance jobs or other revenue cycle functions in 2026: 1. Indianapolis-based IU Health entered a revenue cycle partnership with Ensemble Health Partners on June 9. Under the agreement, IU Health retains accountability for patient experience and overall financial outcomes, while Ensemble will be accountable for delivering its operating model and revenue cycle performance improvements. The partnership comes as IU Health prepares for a transition to Epic in 2027. 2. West Des Moines, Iowa-based UnityPoint Health announced April 15 that it is transitioning some revenue cycle functions to Omega Healthcare. The change comes as part of the system's broader financial review amid industry pressures, including rising labor, supply and drug costs, reimbursement reductions and increased demand for complex care services. The organization said it has not yet determined how the revenue cycle transition will affect its workforce. 3. Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Healthcare Systems of America struck a revenue cycle outsourcing partnership with Conifer Health Solutions on March 24. Under the terms of the multiyear deal, Conifer will provide end-to- end revenue cycle management services for the eight- hospital health system, which has facilities in Florida, Texas and Louisiana. 4. Stamford (Conn.) Health struck a revenue cycle management agreement with Ensemble Health Partners on March 11. Ensemble will support the health system with an integrated, end-to-end operating model designed to deliver sustainable financial performance while preserving Stamford Health's focus on quality and patient experience. 5. Batesville, Ind.-based Margaret Mary Health completed the transition of its revenue cycle operations to Revology on March 2. As part of the transition, 53 of the critical access hospital's revenue cycle staff became employees of Revology. 6. Mount Vernon, Ohio-based Knox Community Hospital struck a three-year agreement to outsource its billing services to Ovation Healthcare, effective Feb. 1. Under the agreement, all 42 of Knox's hospital and physician billing staff were offered the opportunity to transfer their employment to Ovation, and most accepted. n

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