Setting Strategic Priorities in Revenue Cycle Leadership with Blake Evans | Podcast Shorts from ArceeHQ

In this clip

Blake Evans describes the four strategic priorities he established when stepping into a new revenue cycle leadership role at Rush University System for Health: unifying all teams under one structure and shared processes, optimizing revenue through both insurance and patient collections, enhancing the patient financial experience, and scaling operations through automation rather than adding headcount. The patient financial experience priority stands out as a leadership signal, and a poor billing interaction can undermine a patient's perception of otherwise excellent clinical care. Defining those priorities explicitly at the outset gave the team a shared framework for navigating the constant daily and hourly shifts in operational pressure.

Key Takeaway

Naming a short list of strategic priorities at the start of a leadership transition creates team alignment and a decision filter for where to focus energy. Elevating patient financial experience to that list signals that billing clarity and compassion are part of the care commitment, not separate from it.

“You can receive great care in the hospital setting, but if you have a bad financial experience, that can really impact the patient’s perception of their care.”
Blake Evans, System Vice President of Revenue Cycle, Rush University System for Health

LeadershipPatient Financing

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Blake Evans

Season 2 · Episode 1 · 38 min

Building a High-Performance Revenue Cycle: Alignment, Automation & Cash Flow

Blake Evans · System Vice President of Revenue Cycle, Rush University System for Health

Blake Evans shares a system-level perspective on what it takes to build and sustain a high-performance revenue cycle inside a complex, multi-hospital academic health system. Drawing from his journey from frontline patient access to enterprise revenue cycle leadership, he explains why alignment across access, mid-cycle, and back-end functions is the foundation for financial stability, scalability, and patient trust. The conversation explores how Rush has unified revenue cycle operations under a single strategy, balanced optimization with patient financial experience, and scaled performance through intentional automation. Blake outlines how denial prevention, patient financing, and financial assistance must be approached holistically, with early transparency, clear communication, and advocacy for patients at every step of the financial journey. Blake also offers a grounded view on AI and agentic automation in healthcare RCM, separating real opportunity from hype. He emphasizes disciplined adoption, risk management, and leadership practices that prioritize communication, cross-functional collaboration, and trust while navigating large-scale change.

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