On October 10th, Jason will serve on the panel “Revenue Cycle, Payer Contracting and Data Analytics” at Becker’s Annual Health IT + Revenue Cycle Conference. As part of an ongoing series, Becker’s is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place October 9-12, 2019 in Chicago.
To learn more about the conference and Jason’s session, click here.
Question: As a leader, how do you stay connected to the actual work that is being done – and not just by watching others execute, but by executing yourself? If so, how do you balance between leading and executing personally?
Jason Williams: I learned in the military that an officer who doesn’t show they can do the pushups they expect from the troops has their orders followed to basic compliance. The ones that chose times to show they could meet (or exceed) expectations created regard that led to exceeding “following orders” to impress (or protect) those leaders. I’m not leading if I micro-manage doing the work but from time to time I recognize the need to demonstrate that I can…for example when my team is short-handed or under a crisis. Whether brainstorming a technical solution or building a financial model, I have to know when to roll up my sleeves.
Q: What does healthcare need more of? Less of?
JW: More shared incentives…leading to less zero-sum game behavior. For example, the payer/provider/patient relationship is made insane with opposing financial incentives—despite the genuine desire for all parties to contribute to good health. There are too many scenarios where the stakeholders don’t leverage their combined brainpower and experience due to factors that have little to do with creating health…and at worst distract from that pursuit. It’s often passive-aggressive…sometimes just aggressive.
Q: What contributes to better conversations between a health system’s financial and clinical leaders?
JW: In any relationship, the other side doesn’t care what you know until they know that you care! The conversation has to start by listening to the priorities, frustrations, and ideas from the other side. I’ve seen one health system do a roleplay with physicians and revenue cycle staff…initially hilarious but ultimately enlightening.
What contributes to better conversations between a health system’s financial and clinical leaders?
At Becker's 4th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable, taking place November 2–5 in Chicago, more than 1,500 hospital and health system executives tackle decisions that determine whether organizations thrive or merely survive: protecting margins under cost pressure, choosing where to grow, renegotiating payer relationships, stabilizing the workforce and proving real ROI on technology. This is where leaders work through them together, face-to-face. Apply for complimentary registration now.
