Stephanie Schnittger is bringing a bold leadership approach shaped by transparency and people-centered values.
As UVA Health prepares to navigate a financial transformation, its incoming CFO brings to the role a leadership style rooted in transparency, strategic foresight, and a deep belief in people-first finance.
Starting in July, Stephanie Schnittger will bring nearly three decades of experience in healthcare finance and a track record in complex turnarounds; Schnittger’s approach is shaped by lessons learned across community health systems and now refined for a leading academic medical center like UVA.
Transparency as a Financial Strategy
At the core of Schnittger’s leadership philosophy is a principle that may sound deceptively simple: Tell the truth.
“In my first six weeks in my previous organization, what I heard consistently from board and finance committee members was, ‘Your transparency is refreshing,’” she recalled.
For Schnittger, honesty is more than a moral stance, it’s a must for being a healthcare leader. In complex systems with unintended or unforeseen consequences, she believes that downplaying financial challenges only erodes trust and undermines the CFO’s ability to influence change.
“The CFO has to be among the most trusted leaders in an organization for it to be financially viable and sustainable over time.” she said.
Strategic Thinking, Minus Complacency
While she’s cautious of buzzwords like “strategic mindset,” Schnittger does believe in “thinking a few steps ahead.” She approaches financial leadership with a cautious eye on federal and state reimbursement models, especially Medicaid, warning against over-reliance on current structures.
“I think it's fair to say there's a heightened degree of uncertainty at the federal level,” she said. “Don't get too comfortable with this reimbursement structure because it could change.”
Her policy acumen is both personal and professional—her proximity to Washington D.C. and her experience working with advocacy teams have made her a strong advocate for state-level engagement, particularly around Medicaid program design.
“If you think about it, with 50 different states, we likely have 50 different Medicaid programs,” she said. “The Medicaid program has a huge impact on how health systems get paid for the services, so it's really critical to be vigilant and targeted in advocacy efforts at the state level.”
Investing in People and Culture
Alongside a strong command of financial systems and technology, including ERP and EHR optimization, Schnittger also emphasizes that success comes down to people over platforms.
“Technology is an enabler to what a great team does and can take them to the next level,” she said.
She’s especially passionate about building curiosity-driven teams, encouraging staff to challenge norms and finding better solutions.
“Inspiring natural curiosity in folks, especially in the finance area, is so important,” she said. “So they are always thinking about how to solve the next problem or thinking, ‘is there a better way we could be doing these things?”
This people-first mindset extends to succession planning.
“We should all be working ourselves out of a job,” she joked. It is the responsibility of healthcare leaders, she says, to bring in people who can do the job and figure out a way to get them there.
As Schnittger transitions from community-based systems to UVA Health’s academic medical center, she’s preparing for cultural differences while embracing the mission-driven mindset. She views the academic model as a unique opportunity to strengthen the pipeline of future clinical leaders in an era of looming workforce shortages.
She’s also grounded in operational realism.
“I’m not the most organized person by nature,” she admitted. “But I prioritize well, . I prioritize the most important things that add value.”
To other CFOs managing today’s margin pressures and workforce constraints, Schnittger offers this: “Have confidence and conviction, but don't take it all on as your own responsibility. It's not the CFOs job to just make sure we can make the margin or hit the targets that we've set out, it's the whole organization’s responsibility.”
To Schnittger, being the CFO “means being the communicator, having integrity, having a healthy dose of self-awareness, and hopefully with those attributes I have the ability to inspire and motivate others.”
CFOs will need to ensure their organization can easily comply with the updated regulations.
The Trump administration is taking new steps to enforce its price transparency requirements, with updated guidance for providers and payers, and a request for public input on how to boost compliance with existing transparency rules.
Some of the key developments in the update:
-The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued new guidance requiring hospitals to disclose actual prices for services, including cash prices, gross charges, payer-specific negotiated rates, and any minimum negotiated charges.
-Payers are now required to update their price reporting formats to include rates for covered items and services, out-of-network allowed amounts, and negotiated rates for covered prescription drugs. Enforcement of these requirements will begin in February 2026, with potential audits, warnings, corrective plans, or financial penalties for non-compliance.
Some states, like Colorado, have expanded price transparency regulations to include pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and prescription drug data, adding another layer of compliance for health systems operating across multiple jurisdictions.
To ensure compliance, CFOs will have to step up on a few measure.s Check out this infographic for a quick CFO guide, and dive into the full article here.
CFOs are rethinking their labor strategies amid rising costs. This week’s webinar will focus on how they’re getting things done.
Reducing labor costs is a steady concern for CFOs, and scaling back on agency staffing is a top tactic. Now that stimulus funding has disappeared, many are asking how they can reduce contracted labor and focus more on recruiting and retaining home-grown staff.
On Tuesday, HealthLeaders’ The Winning Edge will feature a discussion with UW Health’s vice president of finance, Jodilynn Vitello, who will highlight the challenges finance leaders face in organizing their workforce and cutting down on costs.
The conversation will dig into key topics like:
What workforce management technologies are helping CFOs to strategically organize labor and bring down costs?
Will contract labor be a forever expense?
What are key retention levers that health systems should be focused on?
Contract labor is a huge pain point for CFOs. UW Health has been using contract labor. especially non-permanent hourly positions and nonpermanent fixed duration appointments, which can be terminated at the discretion of the University. The health system has also used nursing contract labor, which has become increasingly common for health systems as the demand grows for healthcare services and staffing shortages continue. UW Health even hires contract specialists to manage their contracted workers.
Vitello, who is also a member of the HealthLeaders CFO Exchange, has served as the VP of Finance at UW Health since 2017. Prior to this, she held various roles at the UW hospitals and clinics, including. director of finance and controller, director of budget and government reimbursement, and director of government reimbursement.
Her conversation with HealthLeaders will dive into how health systems can build sustainable staffing models by investing in internal talent pipelines, enhancing retention strategies, and leveraging predictive analytics to anticipate staffing needs.
Vitello understands one of the components that builds the foundation of a successful staffing model is consistent, transparent communication with clinical staff as well as the executive team.
“Finance touches everyone in the organization, and it’s important to make sure they are aware of current operations, future changes, etc. so there are no surprises,” she said last December. at the HealthLeaders UpNext Exchange
The discussion will also examine the financial toll of contract labor on operating margins and how targeted initiatives, such as reducing dependency on premium pay rates, can lead to long-term cost savings without compromising care quality.
Additionally, as the healthcare industry moves towards a more tech-based approach, the discussion will examine how workforce management technologies such as AI-driven scheduling tools and streamlined clinical workflow automation can optimize staff deployment and minimize reliance on costly contract labor.
Hospital price transparency compliance enforcement is set to rise.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) enacted Hospital Price Transparency Rules in 2021, yet price transparency is still evolving.
The Trump administration is taking new steps to enforce its price transparency requirements, with updated guidance for providers and payers, and a request for public input on how to boost compliance with existing transparency rules.
The CMS guidance updates now require hospitals and health systems to list “actual prices of items and services, not estimates.”. Additionally, the departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor and Treasury are requesting information on payers’ readiness to comply with drug price disclosure requirements, a consistent pain point for the industry. The request follows Trump’s executive order in late February that sought to strengthen price transparency regulations that were instituted in his first term.
To do: Providers
Providers are required to create and maintain a patient-friendly pricing display for up to 300 shoppable services and a machine-readable file with negotiated rates for every service the health system provides.
The federal government is also getting more specific about what hospitals and insurers need to do to be in compliance with the price transparency rules.
CMS’ recent update requires health systems to publicly share, whenever possible, a “standard charge dollar amount” for services, including cash prices, gross charges, payer-specific negotiated rates, and any minimum negotiated charges. When a dollar amount isn’t available, providers can list prices as a percentage.
To do: Payers
This update also pressures payers to be more transparent. Payers will have to update their price reporting format for rates for covered items and services, out-of-network allowed amounts, and negotiated rates for covered prescription drugs.
Ultimately, the updates are aimed at creating more patient-friendly files that are easier to navigate and reduce duplicate and redundant data. The full report will be released in October and enforcement will start in February 2026. If payers don’t comply, they can be audited, receive warnings, and be subjected to a corrective plan or financial penalties.
For CFOs
CFOs should note that states are taking action to address price transparency. Colorado expanded its price transparency regulations around PBMs and prescription drug data, and other states have implemented similar laws requiring providers to comply with federal price transparency laws.
Non-compliance with price transparency laws can damage a health system’s reputation. As more patients demand pricing clarity, failing to meet transparency rules could lead to a loss of business, lower patient satisfaction, and potential legal challenges. See this article for some tips on navigating compliance.
CFOs should take the time to submit feedback on the updates, as well as making sure they are involved in healthcare at the regulatory level.
Compliance
Although providers can face fines for noncompliance, the Patient Rights Advocate and the HHS’ Office of Inspector General both issued reports last year that detailed widespread noncompliance with the rules, partially due to a lack of oversight from CMS.
While CMS has only fined 17 health systems for noncompliance, the fines were substantial, often in the ballpark of 50,000.
Healthcare executives have voiced frustration with reporting requirements, and CMS’ enforcement actions show that providers are still struggling to respond.
Recruitment and retention strategies look different after the COVID pandemic.
In a post-pandemic world, CFOs are facing countless workforce woes. And they don’t have stimulus funding to help them out anymore.
Executives attending the recent HealthLeaders CFO Exchange offered a few observations on the differences between the pre-pandemic workforce and what they’re dealing with now.
Recruitment
While some health systems have found recruitment success in their local markets, others are struggling. Exchange members spoke about the importance of showing support for the communities they serve by partnering and providing opportunities for local medical students.
Many have started partnering with local universities and tech schools, recruiting for positions such as ultrasound technicians. Some CFOs said the main idea is to “put your money where your mouth is” and ensure the health system is supporting schools and the incoming workforce with consistent outreach and offering shadowing opportunities.
“We have been paying out market adjustments to ensure our team members are being paid a living wage and that they feel fairly compensated,” said Kaitlyn Anderson Advent Health’s VP of finance. “We also offer tuition assistance as part of our benefit package. That has been a really big part of our recruitment and retention strategy.”
Retention
CFOs are diving deep on how they create and keep “homegrown employees,” as well as what retention programs provide the most value
Some Exchange attendees said they are looking at repurposing positions to fill gaps rather than just removing positions. CFOs talked about the struggle of going through long interviews and credentialing, only to have an employee decide to leave anyway.
Executives discussed how today’s healthcare “churn” of employees feels more prevalent, with staff seemingly moving more often, and chasing better opportunities rather than staying. Nursing in particular is a consistent challenge, as nurses can now command higher wages, more flexible schedules, better nursing staffing ratios, and more nurse safety measures.
Culture
CFOs are also grappling with the challenge of fostering culture. Attendees emphasized that this is a team act, and having all C-suite leaders at the table and on the same page is a must.
CFOs highlighted a few key elements in fostering the right organizational culture:
Close-knit communication.
Making infrastructure and platforms that work seamlessly with each other.
Advocating for the tools that CFOs and staff need.
Culture is especially important during and after mergers, when clashing cultures might take the spotlight. This sometimes lead to challenges integrating workforces and workflows.
CFOs can examine how they can create the creating resources to educate staff around new workflows and technology. CFOs should work with the C-suite, particularly CTOs, to make sure that all resources align with the organization and are available. The CFO’s role in fostering culture begins with ensuring access to the appropriate tools and resources.
“[It’s important to] really listen to our employees to try to understand what it is that they need, ‘how can you be more efficient?’” said Brandon Williams, CFO of Providence .
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 CFO Exchange event, email us at exchange@healthleadersmedia.com.
To maximize tech value, CFOs need to examine the specific challenges facing their health system.
As CFOs are called upon to do more than just manage margins, they are expected to be instrumental in improving both clinical and operational outcomes through thoughtful financial acumen, this includes investing in the right technologies to support the organization's goals.
Check out this infographic for a quick guide on making the right tech investments as a CFO.
What are CFOs saying about these specific challenges?
CFOs today are facing many challenges. Here’s how some of the healthcare industry’s top financial executives are responding.
Payers
"It's gotten worse, there is no alignment," Julie Soekoro, CFO of Vitruvian Health Care System, said at the HealthLeaders CFO Exchange. "We are not growing in the same direction when they have margins as a goal."
When it comes to payers, CFOs are livid. But they're also exhausted and say they don't feel like there are many options to retaliate against payer tactics. During the HealthLeaders CFO Exchange, executives lamented that they don't know how to collaborate with payers or advocate against the stances that payers are taking. Many said they feel that payers typically do not have a sense of what is happening in the market and don't forecast very well, which is why payers are seeing less profits this year.
Generally, CFOs said they:
Are feeling a little downtrodden by payer negotiation tactics and contracts.
Want to educate community officials and state governments on payer challenges.
Need better cost-cutting strategies just to stay afloat.
Tariffs
Tariffs are another massive worry for CFOs, especially given the fast-paced back-and-forth of the current administration on implementing them. Brad Hipp, CFO and vice president of Tucson Medical Center (TMC), said his organization is working with its GPO to take steps to ensure access to supplies at the highest risk of disruption and financial impact. This includes setting up a "cross-functional tariff command center to track developments, coordinate responses, and provide real-time insights."
"Although disruptions seem imminent, it will be the facilities that have the infrastructure to act swiftly and thoughtfully on how to drive organizational cost down to offset any tariff impacts that will weather the storm as we did in 2019,” Hipp said.
Technology
Brian Devine, CFO of Allegheny Health Network, spoke at the CFO Exchange about creating a long-term business plan for AI and new technologies.
“Utilizing AI and new tech for clinicians and other areas like RCM has to be accompanied by a strategic plan,” he said. “Don’t invest just to say you did it. How do we approach a business plan around these types of technologies?”
Medicaid Cuts
Many healthcare executives are concerned about potential Medicaid cuts.
Brett Tande, corporate executive vice president and CFO of Scripps Health, recently visited Washington to voice his concerns.
"Spent time on Capitol Hill with fellow health system CFOs advocating against proposed Medicaid cuts,” he said in a LinkedIn post. “These potential reductions would have a serious impact on access to care for millions and result in the closure of vital services across the country."
Teamwork and Collaboration
Laurie Beyer, CFO of Greater Baltimore Medical Center, shared when her team experienced a cyberattack and quickly had to come together to resolve it. Agility, Beyer knows, is an essential factor to building a capable team, and can make all the difference when times get tough.
"Make sure that you've got the right team, establish relationships with your peers, [and] be available and be present," she said. "It's important to establish relationships so that when you do have a crisis that you can come together and solve it quickly."
The GOP's new budget bill slashes Medicaid funding, putting hospitals at risk and threatening coverage for millions.
In a very close vote (215-214), the U.S. House of Representatives has passed President Donald Trump's "big beautiful bill,", a sweeping budget reconciliation package that proposes massive cuts to Medicaid.
The bill now heads to the Senate, where more debate and potential adjustments are expected.
A reduction of this magnitude could force facilities to scale back services, delay capital projects, or even close their doors. The Federation of American Hospitals has warned that such cuts would be "an existential threat" to safety-net hospitals that serve low-income and uninsured patients.
Medicaid is a critical revenue stream for hospitals, particularly those in rural and underserved areas. April Audain, CFO of Denver Health, noted at the recent HealthLeaders Exchange that "50% of Denver Health's patient base is Medicaid."
Many hospitals may face increased uncompensated care costs as more patients become uninsured or underinsured. Proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) programs could also leave thousands of patients in additional financial distress.
Harming Patients
The proposed Medicaid cuts disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including seniors, individuals with disabilities, and low-income families. Programs like home and community-based services (HCBS), which support long-term care for the elderly and disabled, are at risk. Eliminating or reducing HCBS funding could lead to institutionalization for many individuals who currently receive care at home, disrupting their lives and increasing healthcare costs.
The bill also introduces new eligibility requirements, including work mandates and increased out-of-pocket costs for beneficiaries above the federal poverty line. These changes could lead to approximately 7.7 million individuals losing coverage, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Additionally, the bill bans Medicaid and CHIP from covering gender-affirming care for individuals of all ages, a move that has faced significant criticism from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups.
Medicare could also see about $500 billion in offsets to pay for the bill's $3.8 trillion in tax cuts.
For CFOs: Strategic Considerations
CFOs should adopt strategies to navigate impending financial challenges:
Scenario planning: CFOs can develop multiple financial models to assess the impact of various Medicaid cut scenarios. This includes estimating potential revenue losses and identifying areas where cost reductions can be implemented without compromising patient care.
Diversification of revenue streams: CFOs can explore alternative funding sources, such as expanding private insurance partnerships, exploring revenue opportunities through telehealth, or even seeking philanthropic support, to reduce reliance on Medicaid reimbursements.
Advocacy and collaboration: CFOs can use their voice and engage with hospital associations and other stakeholders to advocate for the preservation of Medicaid funding. Collaborative efforts can amplify the voice of healthcare providers in influencing policy.
Operational efficiency: CFOs can collaborate with CTOs to invest in technologies and processes that enhance operational efficiency, such as modern EHRs and data analytics tools, to reduce administrative costs and improve patient outcomes.
Patient resources: CFOs can also ensure that programs and resources like financial counselors and public benefit coordinators are in place to help patients navigate high care costs. By investing in navigation resources that help patients access alternative coverage, such as ACA marketplace plans, community health initiatives, or local subsidies, hospitals can maintain continuous care while helping patients avoid falling through the cracks.
Community engagement: CFOs can strengthen relationships with their communities. Community support can be instrumental in advocating for policy changes and securing alternative funding sources.
As healthcare technology grows more complex, financial executives need to pay attention to how much it costs.
Whether a health system is acquiring new technology or maintaining or upgrading its existing tech platform, a key point of concern for CFOs is technical debt. Budgeting for new expenses can be tricky in this economy, yet putting off a new acquisition or delaying needed maintenance could have a negative impact on security or clinical care.
While the sheer multitude of technology in a hospital or health system can lead to redundancies and vulnerabilities, consistently maintaining and modernizing them can improve security and help manage long-term costs. That's why experts advise developing a consistent process for managing technical debt
Strategies for Managing Technical Debt
CFOs need to collaborate with CTOs and CIOs on technical debt. They must evaluate where the organization stands, and what amount of technical debt is acceptable, depending on challenges, vulnerabilities and the balance sheet.
To get started, CFOs need to consistently track the performance of their IT systems. Consider creating a small task force, along with benchmarking, to evaluate IT systems and identify any performance gaps or slowdowns.
Agility is a key factor healthcare leadership needs to be able to pivot quickly. CFOs should meet with other executives, especially CIOs and CTOs, to assess what needs to be done and home much it will cost.
Trying to tackle every upgrade or replacement at once can be overwhelming, and costly. Instead, consider staggering these upgrades or replacements over a specified amount of time, and developing protocols for which projects need to be done first and which can be spaced out over time.
Additionally, if a health system works with IT vendors, it's important to establish what tasks vendors can and should handle and what projects should be handled internally.
The Cost of Technical Debt
The consequences of not staying on top of technical debt are extensive, including reduced operational efficiency, higher probability of errors, regulatory and compliance challenges, system downtime and security risks, rising costs, and compromised care quality.
CFOs who have experienced the penalties for not upgrading or replacing their IT systems know that the delay isn't worth it.
Laurie Beyer, CFO of Greater Baltimore Medical Center, shared when her organization experienced a cyberattack in 2020 due to outdated systems.
"It happened because we had old equipment that hadn't been updated, and the [hackers] could get in easily," Beyer said. "So we had to update all the equipment, get it up to 2021 standards."
Sergio Melgar, CFO of UMass Memorial Health, shared when he knew it was time to switch to a modern EHR system.
"A lot of these bad habits that have been formed by the individual silos could basically begin to be eliminated," Melgar said. "You have to modernize. If you stay current, you're going to ride this to success."
How to Measure Technical Debt
When evaluating where a health system stands with technical debt, CFOs need to decide whether it's more expensive to maintain technology in its current state, upgrade, or replace the system altogether.
On one hand, a health system could move quickly to upgrade, acquiring extensive debt but staying ahead of competitors and positioning the organization as a leader in the industry. On the other hand, a health system could move slowly, spacing its technical debt out and focusing on incremental improvements, thus reducing financial burdens. It's up to the CFO to determine which route is best for the organization.
CFOs are strategizing to protect their supply chains from drastic price hikes and product shortages.
At the recent HealthLeaders CFO Exchange CFOs were both "terrified" and eager to discuss: tariffs. They talked about their concerns for supply costs and how they will navigate potential vendor shifts and cost hikes.
Strategizing for tariffs
"Hope is not a strategy," one of the executives said. While strategizing for tariffs is difficult because of so many variables, they agreed on a few proactive steps:
-Examine inventory; stock up to offset anticipated shortages.
-Monitor any variances in the supply chain, even minor changes.
-Maintain good communication with distributors and ask their opinion on where they believe shortages may occur.
-Create tariff reaction teams or government groups to stay on top of changes.
-Use companies that monitor healthcare vendors to predict who will be affected by tariffs and by what percentage.
What CFOs are saying
Many Exchange members said they did not have a formal plan to combat tariffs, and they expressed concern that the potential impacts could be serious.
Working with vendors during this time is hard, members said, as they don’t often announce price increases in advance, despite being tied to a contract. Some CFOs said they have had success using companies to monitor their supply chain and hold vendors accountable.
Brad Hipp, CFO and vice president of Tucson Medical Center (TMC), said his organization is working with its GPO to take l steps to ensure access to supplies at the highest risk for supply disruption and financial impact. This includes setting up a "cross-functional tariff command center to track developments, coordinate responses, and provide real-time insights."
"By partnering with our GPO on mapping of manufacturing we can target the necessary steps to increase inventory of these specific supplies to mitigate risk," Hipp said. "Although disruptions seem imminent, it will be the facilities that have the infrastructure to act swiftly and thoughtfully on how to drive organizational cost down to offset any tariff impacts that will weather the storm as we did in 2019."
Tariffs often manifest in the form of shortages first, then price increases, so stocking up on potentially affected products and equipment could help. But forecasting exactly where to stock up is still tricky. One area of concern is orthopedic surgery, which could see price increases for implants;
The Industry Snapshot
The healthcare industry is very concerned about the potential effects of tariffs and how to budget for them. Tariffs on goods from Canada, China and Mexico are expected to increase healthcare costs by at least 15% this summer, according to a survey by Black Book Research.
The Trump administration has enacted the following tariffs, as of today:
10% universal tariff Went into effect on 5 April
25% on cars and auto parts (with some exceptions) Went into effect on 3 May
30% tariff on Chinese imports (with some exceptions) Went into effect on 13 May
25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico, not covered in the USMCA Went into effect on 4 March
Paused Tariffs:
"Reciprocal" tariffs, until 8 July Paused on 9 April
Higher tariffs on Chinese goods, until 12 August Paused on 13 May
Trump has also proposed tariffs on pharmaceuticals, (which are usually exempt).
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 CFO Exchange event, email us at exchange@healthleadersmedia.com.
