Why the Next Wave of RCM AI Is Predictive, Not Task-Oriented

Rethinking Denials Management: AI-Driven Prediction, Sprint-Based Root Cause Resolution, and Trust as the Foundation of Revenue Cycle Change

Christina Slemp · System Vice President of Revenue Cycle Financial Services, UNC Health

Christina Slemp, System Vice President of Revenue Cycle Financial Services at UNC Health, brings a cross-systems perspective on claims denial management shaped by more than 25 years of leading revenue cycle operations across hospital systems, health plans, and payer contracting. She describes the multi-dimensional framework her teams use to approach denials, from six-week microtargeted sprint cycles with structured root cause analysis and cross-functional executive committee oversight, to the AI and RPA combination she considers best practice for automating appeals at scale. The conversation covers the organizational restructuring she guided at UNC Health, which consolidated professional and hospital billing under an enterprise AI and automation strategy, her view that predictive AI for anticipating payer behavior represents the next step beyond reactive denial management, and the emerging use of AI to analyze payer policy changes and quantify their financial impact before organizations fall behind. Christina closes with her perspective on the leadership behaviors that drive lasting change in revenue cycle, including why data alone does not move people and why trust is the only sustainable currency for change management.