ACHE-Minnesota & HFMA 2015 Joint Winter Conference

The Minnesota Chapter of the American College of Healthcare Executives and
the Healthcare Financial and Management Association

2015 Breakfast Briefing

February 19, 2015 Mississippi Room, Coffman Union, University of Minnesota

7:30-8:00 am Registration and Breakfast

8:00-9:30 am: Population Health: A Road Map for Success

Healthcare reform has ushered in many new terms, but none more relevant and confusing than “population health”. How might we plan for and measure the health of a population? What actions are necessary for employers, providers, and payers to play together to improve health? Managing health requires attention to access, cost and quality and creates the need to plan for all aspects of health from promotion to care, to post-acute, to maintenance of health in the community. Behavioral change will also be required to create value for the healthcare dollar.

Come to this joint session of ACHE and HFMA to hear panelists address what is going on in health systems (Mayo and Allina), how physicians fit into this new system of population care, what the continuum looks like, and how it could all be financed.          (1.5 ACHE Face to Face Education Credits)

9:30-9:45 am Break

9:45-11:15 am: Key Strategies for Success in the Consumer Era of Health Care

As the trend toward consumerism gains momentum, Americans are paying more out of their own pockets for health care. From a financial services standpoint, how can your organization best meet consumer needs and expectations in this new era of health care? In this session, you will discover key strategies for creating a consumer-centered approach to billing and payment, based on best practices developed in partnership with other leading healthcare organizations.

(1.5 ACHE Qualified Education Credits)

After this session, attendees will be able to:

• Describe trends that are driving change in consumer engagement with healthcare prices


• Identify ways to improve financial interactions with patients


• Formulate an action plan for improving patients’ financial experience

The American College of Healthcare Executives has awarded 1.5 Face-to-Face credit hours and 1.5 Qualified Education hours to this program. To receive credit for the Face-to Face education, your name MUST appear on the Sign-In Sheet. Also note that ACHE members are responsible for maintaining their own record for Qualified Education hours.

About the speakers:

Joseph J. Fifer, FHFMA, CPA; President & CEO, Healthcare Financial Management Association

Joseph J. Fifer, FHFMA, CPA is president and chief executive officer of the Healthcare Financial Management Association. HFMA provides the resources healthcare organizations need to achieve sound fiscal health in order to provide excellent patient care. With more than 40,000 members, HFMA is the nation’s leading membership organization of healthcare finance executives and leaders. In 2014, Fifer was named to Modern Healthcare’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare.

Prior to assuming his position with HFMA in June 2012, Fifer spent 11 years as vice president of hospital finance at Spectrum Health, in Grand Rapids, Mich. He also spent time with McLaren Health Care Corporation, Flint, Mich., as vice president of finance and Ingham Regional Medical Center, Lansing, Mich., as senior vice president of finance and CFO. Fifer started his career with nine years at Ernst and Young, also in Michigan.

Fifer was Chair of the HFMA Board of Directors in 2006-07. An HFMA member since 1983, Fifer served as a chapter president and for two terms as an HFMA board member.

A Fellow of HFMA and a CPA, Fifer received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Saginaw Valley State University, University Center, Mich. Fifer is an active community volunteer and runner. Fifer and his wife, Katie, have three children: Sarah, Tom, and Joe-Joe.

Kristin S. Johnson, CPA, MBA; Operations Administrator, Mayo Clinic Midwest Office of Population Health

Kristin Johnson is the Operations Administrator for the Midwest Office of Population Health for Mayo Clinic. Her current responsibilities include partnering with organizational and practice leaders to design and strategically implement the Mayo Model of Community Care. Ms. Johnson works collaboratively with Contracting/Payer Relations, Quality, Patient Experience and Finance teams to insure practice models achieve desired outcome metrics. Ms. Johnson also serves as the Administrator for Mayo’s Integrated Behavioral Health practice.

Ms. Johnson’s career background at Mayo has included Chief Financial Officer and Revenue Cycle leadership roles within Mayo Clinic Health System whereby she worked extensively with evolving financial models and physician/provider compensation plans. She has also served as an Administrator with multiple primary care and specialty practices across the Mayo Health System.

Ms. Johnson has been with Mayo Clinic for twenty-two years. Prior to joining the health system, she practiced public accounting in the audit division of Deloitte.

Ms. Johnson holds an active CPA license and received her masters of business administration degree from Augsburg College and her bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the College of St. Benedict & St. John’s University.

Brian E. Rice, MHA; Vice President, AIM Network / ACO Integration

Brian Rice is the Vice President for the AIM Network / ACO Integration for Allina Health. His current focus is leading Allina Health’s clinically integrated medical network that will support Allina Health and its independent provider partners to collaborate and align incentives for the successful delivery of market leading quality, access, affordability and community health. Mr. Rice also has leadership responsibilities for Strategy & Business Development and Telehealth services.

Mr. Rice’s career background has included performance improvement consulting services for hospital operations and leading strategic planning and business development efforts across the health care provider and payer settings.

Mr. Rice has been with Allina Health for thirteen years. Prior to joining the health system, he spent nearly six years in the health care consulting division of Ernst & Young.

Mr. Rice received his master’s degree in healthcare administration from the University of Minnesota and his bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University.

Dr. Brendon Cullinan, Vice President and Medical Director of Population Health and Ambulatory Services

Dr. Cullinan is the Vice President and Medical Director of Population Health and Ambulatory Services at North Memorial Health Care. Located in Robbinsdale MN, North Memorial is known for its Level I Trauma Center and emergency services, cardiology, oncology, and women and children’s services as well as its primary and specialty care clinics. Dr. Cullinan joined North Memorial in 2014 to guide the system’s 14 primary care clinics, 10 specialty care clinics which are positioned at 19 different sites, as well as the Home and Community Services Division.

Dr. Cullinan has extensive experience in the areas of clinic operations, provider relations, quality management, payer contracting and the development of a population strategy and implementation.  Prior to North Memorial, he served in a similar role with the HealthEast Care System. 

Dr. Cullinan graduated from University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Medicine. He completed his Family Medicine residency at Hennepin County Medical Center.  He also holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and astrophysics from Harvard University, Cambridge, MA and studied business administration in Healthcare at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN.  He is a member of the Committee on Evidence-Based Practice and the Strategy Committee with the Institute Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI).

About the Moderator:

Bill Fenske; CFO at Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar, MN.

Bill has 29 years of healthcare experience w/ 20+ years of executive experience in numerous healthcare provider organizations ranging from a small critical access hospital to large integrated healthcare delivery systems and has held CEO/COO/CFO positions within these organizations. Bill is currently the CFO at Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar, MN.

Bill has extensive experience in strategic planning and development and integration of healthcare providers through mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures. In addition, he has extensive experience and expertise in leadership development of executives, clinical directors, and board members related to healthcare financial and operational related issues. Bill is an adjunct faculty member at St. Mary’s University and South Central College and was also an adjunct faculty member at Winona State University during his years in Winona, MN.

Bill received his Doctorate of Business Administration from Metropolitan State University and his MBA from the University of MN. He holds numerous certifications including FACHE and FHFMA and currently serves on the Board for the MN Chapter of ACHE. Bill was recently elected to serve as the Regional Executive Elect for Region 8 of HFMA.