As organizations shift away from outsourcing revenue cycle operations, leaders are making workforce development a priority.
Managing the revenue cycle workforce comes with a unique set of challenges. Fighting labor shortages and managing remote workers has been plaguing the healthcare industry for years, forcing revenue cycle leaders to reevaluate the way they remedy staff burnout, responsibility, and leadership development.
These combined challenges are putting pressure on revenue cycle leaders, and now is the time to act, especially when it comes to managing remote workers, fostering leadership development, and collaborating on new technology.
These were the main themes of conversation during the HealthLeaders’ 2024 Revenue Cycle Exchange held in Litchfield Park, Arizona, last week. Around 35 revenue cycle leaders from across the nation met to share insights and strategies for how they’ve navigated these workforce pain points within their organizations.
Managing Remote Workers
Although remote work still poses challenges, revenue cycle leaders shared some of the solutions they’ve implemented at their own organizations to maintain productivity, effectiveness, and engagement among their staff.
Patrick Wall, vice president of patient financial services for MedStar Health, emphasized the importance of satisfied and engaged employees. He argued that special attention should be paid to remote workers, as they’re more susceptible to feeling unengaged with the rest of the organization.
Pictured: Lynn Ansley, Vice President, Revenue Cycle Management at Moffitt Cancer Center, attends the 2024 Revenue Cycle Exchange. Photo courtesy of HealthLeaders.
“I think in order to retain our most valuable resources, we’ve got to come up with a solution to make sure that all of our associates across the country feel connected and engaged to the mission of the organization and the communities that we serve,” Wall said.
To this point, Michael Gottesman, associate vice president of revenue cycle front end operations for Northwell Health Physician Partners, suggested ways leaders can get the most out of their remote workforce:
- Establish clear remote work policies
- Create strong personal connections
- Be intentional about team collaboration
- Be responsive and available
- Provide face-to-face meeting opportunities
- Hold regular check-ins
- Invest in the right tools
Gottesman also showed leaders how productivity reporting data can drive accountability and identify areas for improvement.
Leadership and Succession Planning
For decades, coming in at entry level and learning on the job was typical for revenue cycle employees, and while this is still commonplace, more revenue cycle leaders are working to formalize the training requirements for workers while placing a heavy focus on leadership development and succession planning.
In fact, a live poll held on the first day of sessions found that workforce development and employee engagement has become a priority. Many leaders also identified succession planning as a priority, but others, while they also agreed, said they didn’t have the time to dedicate to it.
Where to start? Well, employee engagement and workforce development begins with attentive leaders and effective communication, the attendees said.
Using a creative analogy, Lynn Ansley, vice president of revenue cycle management for Moffitt Cancer Center, illustrated the importance of succession planning and nurturing employees’ skills and abilities to encourage their growth within the organization—the “bus”—to help drive success.
An example of fostering this growth is through a ratings system where leaders can assess the employee’s performance by rating elements like strengths and recent growth.
After calculating those ratings, the leaders can share development best practices with the employee and put together an individual development plan and opportunities for the future. Six months after the initial assessment, leadership can meet again to review the employee’s performance, adjusting development plans as needed.
Additional best practices for succession planning were also shared during roundtable discussions:
- Making sure to properly train employees on new equipment and policies
- Creating a career ladder for patient access staff
- Drive accountability to ensure success
- Set people and the organization up for success by thoughtfully placing them where they’re needed and where their skills can expand
Collaborating on New Technology
Technology in the revenue cycle is not an if but a when, and leaders are realizing they need to call upon their workforce to drive technology success.
Acknowledging the large presence of revenue cycle technology solutions, Cassi Birnbaum, administrative director of hospital and professional coding for Stanford Health Care, walked attendees through a case study of how the system operationalized technology platforms, highlighting the role its revenue cycle team members played in the efforts.
As administrative director of hospital and professional coding, she had some best practices to share, like the invaluable presence of super users (i.e. resident experts) through the implementation and launch process. Having information technology and coding teams collaborate and meet weekly was also beneficial.
Pictured: Michael Finley, Director of Revenue Cycle at Bellin Health attends the 2024 Revenue Cycle Exchange. Photo courtesy of HealthLeaders.
Change management was an important part of the process as well, and Birnbaum emphasized the importance of effectively communicating the purpose and progress of the rollout to employees to ensure its success.
Sharing these insights, stories, and strategies with peers is helpful, Sarah Hartwig, patient access officer for Avera Health, explained, because leaders can take that information back to their organizations and apply them to their plans for the future.
“We’re all learning just as fast as new technology, new regulation—that dynamic—as quick as it’s coming at us,” Hartwig said. “I think that having these types of sessions and dialogues is just as important, so it stays relevant. And so, we’re keeping more on top of change together and keeping pace with some of that change.”
The HealthLeaders Exchange is an executive community for sharing ideas, solutions, and insights. Please join the community at our LinkedIn page.
To inquire about attending a HealthLeaders Exchange event, email us at exchange@healthleadersmedia.com.
“We're all learning just as fast as new technology, new regulation—that dynamic—as quick as it's coming at us. ”
Sarah Hartwig, patient access officer, Avera Health
Jasmyne Ray is the revenue cycle editor at HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Remote workers are more susceptible to feeling unengaged with their organization, so special attention should be paid to them to keep them engaged.
A live poll found that while many leaders see succession planning as a priority, dedicating time to it is difficult.
When implementing a new rev tech solution into operations, a change management plan can help communicate the purpose and progress of the rollout to staff to help ensure its success.