Healthcare finance teams have faced no shortage of challenges in recent years. Becker’s asked three CFOs how they are working to bolster morale under difficult circumstances:
Editor’s note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Sophia Holder. Executive Vice President and CFO at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia: During difficult circumstances, I focus on two levers to sustain morale: meaning and transparency. Our team draws strength from understanding the “why” behind tough decisions and how those choices connect to the broader mission. In finance, it is easy to get lost in spreadsheets and targets, but every efficiency, every improvement in our financial performance, translates into more capacity to care for children and families. That perspective reframes the work from transactional to transformational. I also believe in open, ongoing dialogue — acknowledging uncertainty but reinforcing confidence in our collective ability to adapt and deliver. When people feel informed, valued, and connected to purpose, morale follows naturally.
Jen Rosati. CFO at Sarasota (Fla.) Memorial Health Care System: As CFO of one of the largest and oldest public health systems in Florida, and a safety-net hospital, I understand the unique challenges our finance teams face during these times. We understand that our employees are our greatest asset and strive to create a supportive work environment year-round. We provide important touch points throughout the year, including regular employee-of-the-month and hero awards, annual employee service anniversaries, food truck celebrations, birthday gift cards, and grocery store coupons for Thanksgiving. We prioritize professional development and try to boost morale by ensuring team members have opportunities to grow and feel supported in times of adversity. Regular check-ins, celebrating small wins and fostering a culture of collaboration are key in keeping spirits high. Building strong partnerships with our frontline caregivers and staff helps our finance team stay focused on our shared mission. By being transparent about both the challenges and the progress we’re making, we can maintain a sense of resilience.
Joanna Weiss. Executive Vice President and CFO at Moffitt Cancer Center (Tampa, Fla.): We are very thankful for our teams that show up every day for our patients and our mission, which is to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer. Our leaders do a fantastic job of keeping morale high by helping our teams understand how their individual roles are part of that larger picture. We do this through frequent cascaded information. We believe communication and education are key components of keeping morale high. We have instituted a monthly finance minute video series discussing how finance topics relate to our mission, have quarterly finance leadership meetings where we connect our work back to the broader mission and host weekly meetings with our vice presidents who cascade throughout their teams about how decisions affect them and contribute to the mission. Our purpose in finance is to enable optimization and stewardship of Moffitt resources through partnership. We believe this actively contributes to our mission in very real ways. Obviously, some times are easier than others, but always bringing their work back to our patients is the biggest driver of morale.
