As health system revenue cycles grow increasingly complex, WVU Medicine is taking a bold step to unify its revenue cycle operations under the leadership of Beth Carlson, who was named chief revenue officer in March.
Ms. Carlson brings a unique perspective to the role, shaped by experience on both the payer and provider sides of healthcare. She joined Morgantown, W.Va.-based WVU Medicine in 2020 and most recently served as vice president of revenue before stepping into the newly created chief revenue officer position.
The move to consolidate the revenue cycle with health information management and mid-revenue cycle services comes at a pivotal time for the health system, which has expanded significantly across West Virginia and neighboring states.
“It’s certainly been information overload in these first few weeks,” Ms. Carlson told Becker’s. “But I’m staying grounded in the objectives of this role — which are to adapt our revenue cycle to the demands of a rapidly growing and increasingly complex organization.”
WVU Medicine’s new revenue cycle structure aims to simplify operations, strengthen collaboration and drive innovation.
“We have a few key objectives,” Ms. Carlson said. “We want to simplify the most complex elements of the revenue cycle by leaning into our clinical expertise — especially our nurses and physician advisors — strengthen education across the enterprise, and supercharge our innovation center to reimagine revenue cycle solutions.”
Ms. Carlson emphasized that the shared services model is not about eliminating silos entirely, but creating functional silos that foster deep expertise in key areas of the revenue cycle.
“Each piece of the revenue cycle puzzle must take a certain shape and fit well with the others,” she said. “As demands shift — whether from patients, technology or regulations — we have to be ready to adapt while still functioning as a whole.”
Ms. Carlson’s prior experience in payer organizations has proven especially valuable as WVU Medicine grows Peak Health, a health insurer and health insurance services company also owned by Huntington, W.Va.-based Marshall Health Network and Winchester, Va.-based Valley Health.
“A lot of organizations are trying to manage changing payer behavior,” she said. “But WVU Medicine is uniquely positioned with Peak Health to eliminate some of the administrative friction between payers and providers. That alignment allows us to create a more seamless experience for patients — one where they’re not stuck in the middle.”
Peak Health, which launched in January 2023, has expanded from the administrative services only (ASO) commercial market into the Medicare Advantage space — an area of strategic growth for WVU Medicine.
“As Peak Health expands into more counties in West Virginia and border areas, we’re really focusing on how our mid-revenue cycle functions can support that growth,” Ms. Carlson said. “It’s about giving patients the best possible experience by aligning on the decisions that impact care and coverage.”
Like many health systems, WVU Medicine is embracing AI and automation in the revenue cycle, but is cautious against moving too fast without building the right foundation.
“As soon as you think you have the right solution, the demands change,” Ms. Carlson said. “We’re seeing real value in areas like physician documentation, denial management and expedited appeals — especially within the clinical revenue cycle. But the key is ensuring sustainability, managing risk and thinking long term.”
She also emphasized the importance of workforce planning in parallel with technology adoption.
“We not only need to manage an automated workforce, but also have a succession plan that builds a pipeline of future leaders,” she said. “I think this is something many organizations underestimate. You can’t push innovation without the infrastructure and talent to support it.”
With a structured transition plan now underway, Ms. Carlson is focused on ensuring a smooth integration of the revenue cycle and health IT functions while advancing WVU Medicine’s long-term goals.
“We’ve had success with our shared service model before, and I believe this unified approach will position us to meet the complex needs of our growing organization,” she said.
