UHS leader nominated for 2025 RCM Innovation Award

UHS Chief Revenue Cycle Officer Ken Hogue was nominated for the 2025 Revenue Cycle Management Innovation Award after being featured in Healthcare C-suite, the leading magazine for healthcare leaders in executive, operational, clinical, and revenue cycle roles.

Each year, approximately 100 exceptional leaders in revenue cycle roles are nominated for this award, resulting in around 1,000 nominations. Ken stood out as a clear frontrunner, receiving over 20% of the total nominations. The award recognizes healthcare organizations that demonstrate outstanding progress and innovative approaches in their revenue cycle management practices. This often includes adopting new technologies, leveraging data analytics or implementing process improvements to streamline billing, claims submission and patient payments, ultimately enhancing both financial performance and the patient experience. The winner will be announced in the spring during the 2025 RCM Innovators Conference.

“It is an absolute honor and surprise to receive this nomination. I was just being myself, speaking from the heart about a career I thoroughly enjoy. The revenue cycle process is challenging and complex, so it has become a passion of mine to teach and help the next generation of leaders understand revenue cycles. Leaders always need to advocate and be innovative as it is truly part of the patient experience,” said Ken.

In the latest issue, Ken explained how his approach to innovation is guiding UHS toward new horizons and focusing on a patient-centric philosophy. He emphasizes the entire process revolves around people. "At UHS, we prioritize the human element when planning and testing new ideas. We look at past projects to identify what worked well and where we faced challenges." This examination requires open, honest communication, which UHS actively fosters within its culture. As a result, when new initiatives are introduced, there is a system in place to assess their impact on staff and adjust as needed. This approach empowers UHS staff to identify patterns or issues that could hinder the organization's goals, ensuring a focus on delivering quality care to the community.

There are plenty of initiatives that use this strategy to help improve UHS, but the one Ken is most proud of is the tech-assisted patient concierge service, which expedites referrals, appointments and care continuity. UHS analyzes referral patterns on the back end to find new ways to expedite care in a manner aligning with patient needs, and on the front end, UHS uses EPIC’s Financial Case referral tools to revamp scheduling and intake processes for our specialty services. Those feed into a centralized escalation model, whereby a concierge team uses all the referral, scheduling and financial data available to give patients tailored, white-glove assistance.

The service also helps patients manage medical debt. In fall 2022, UHS could no longer report medical debt to credit agencies, which helped drive collections. Rather than focusing on fear of consequences, Ken and his team introduced “self-pay and patient forensics,” a process that addresses patients’ financial challenges by understanding their home life, financial situation and other barriers. Ken explained, “When you deliver exceptional care, most patients want to pay their bills, but they often face obstacles.” With this hospitality approach, UHS prioritizes patient convenience, offering personalized support to help patients navigate financial challenges and prioritize their well-being.

Since April 2020, Ken has played a key role in driving innovative strategies at UHS through his hard work and commitment to both the organization and its patients. UHS is proud to have Ken as a visionary leader who embodies our cultural values and helps move the organization forward. He is an excellent nominee for the 2025 Revenue Cycle Management Award. Congratulations on this well-deserved nomination!