Ask a Revenue Cycle Leader is a new series featuring insights from health system and hospital revenue cycle executives nationwide. Becker’s poses questions on the most pressing issues in healthcare finance — from payer relations and automation to workforce and patient experience.
Question: What was the best piece of advice you received early in your career?
Abby Abongwa. System Vice President of Revenue Cycle at UW Health (Madison, Wis.): One of the best pieces of advice I received early in my career was that when problems arise, it’s usually not about the what — it’s about the how. Difficult conversations and decisions are inevitable, but how we communicate, build trust, and bring others along often determines success. That lesson has shaped my leadership philosophy, reminding me that relationships and credibility are often more powerful than technical expertise alone.
Lynn Ansley. Vice President of Revenue Cycle Management at Moffitt Cancer Center (Tampa, Fla.): One of the best pieces of advice I received came when I was offered an interim management role overseeing revenue cycle quality. I remember telling the VP at the time, Joanna Weiss, “I don’t know how you’ll ever find someone who can be successful in this role. There is so much to know.”
She replied, “You don’t have to know everything. You just have to know how to ask the right questions.”
I took the role full time, fell in love with it, and that advice has stayed with me throughout my career. It taught me that great leaders aren’t expected to have all the answers. They succeed by staying curious, learning from others, and asking the questions that help their teams thrive. I am the VP of revenue cycle today.
Blake Evans. System Vice President of Revenue Cycle at Rush University System for Health (Chicago): One of the best pieces of advice I received early in my career was to identify your gifts and your gaps. We all have strengths that come naturally, areas where we can create value with relative ease, and we all have areas that require more time and effort to develop. Early on, I realized that success doesn’t come from trying to be great at everything. Instead, it comes from leaning into your natural strengths while building relationships with people whose talents complement your own. Great leaders don’t have all the answers; they build teams that are stronger because of their diverse strengths.
That advice has shaped my career. I’ve continued to invest in my strengths, building relationships, communicating effectively, and delivering exceptional service, while surrounding myself with people who help fill the gaps in areas where I’m less strong. In fact, my career in healthcare began because of those very strengths. While working at a coffee shop, I built a relationship with a customer through great service and genuine conversation, which led to my first opportunity in healthcare. Many years later, I still lean into those same gifts every day. It’s a reminder that while technical skills are important, your ability to connect with people, earn trust, and serve others can open doors and shape an entire career.
Ryan Horn. Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Cycle Officer at Bronson Healthcare (Kalamazoo, Mich.): I started my healthcare career in my teenage years as a file clerk, filing away paper records in patient charts and worked my way up from there. I have had the pleasure of working for some very wise leaders in my career and there are a few pieces of advice that have stuck with me. Be the best you can be at whatever job you do, go out of your way to stand out from the pack, being the best will create a natural path to advancement. Your career is a series of experiences, don’t be afraid to move around and diversify those experiences, the more unique the roles you’ve held make you, the more valuable you will be in the long run. Be intentional about building relationships throughout your career, be someone others can trust and lean on and doors will open because of it. People underestimate the value of networking and building relationships and how it can influence your career path.
Drew von Eschenbach. Vice President of Enterprise Revenue Cycle at UW Medicine (Seattle): Many years ago, when I was very young, a physician friend of my parents once told me that “you should learn something new every day, otherwise, you will have wasted that day”. That always stuck with me to not waste days, but I have since taken that advice one step further to not only learn something new but to teach others something new as well. It is give and take, help others, and learn from others….every day!
Karen Veselsky. Vice President of Revenue Cycle at UMC Health System (Lubbock, Texas): Always say you’re open to relocating, even if you aren’t. If your health system knows you’re not open to relocation, a promotional opportunity may not be presented to you. Don’t you want to hear about those opportunities and be able to consider them instead of being passed over because you’d have to move for that role?
Next question: What is one revenue cycle myth you wish would go away?
If you are interested in responding, please send responses to Andrew Cass at acass@beckershealthcare.com
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