Carla Haack, MD, VP/Chief Financial Informatics Officer, Emory Healthcare
In the intricate world of healthcare, where every moment counts and every dollar matters, a unique leadership role is emerging at the crossroads of clinical practice and financial operations. Dr. Carla Haack, VP/Chief Financial Informatics Officer at Emory Healthcare, embodies this shift, championing the need for clearer communication between clinicians and revenue cycle teams.
Haack, who started her career as a general and gastrointestinal surgeon, never envisioned herself stepping into a role that intertwined finance and informatics. However, the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the financial strain it imposed on healthcare institutions propelled her into a new mission: ensuring clinicians receive proper credit for the work they do, not just in the operating room, but in the financial documentation that sustains their institutions.
Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:39 — 33.9MB)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Pandora | iHeartRadio | Podchaser | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | RSS
Healthcare organizations took a financial hit in the wake of the pandemic, but for Haack, a troubling question lingered. “My colleagues and I felt like we were busier than ever, yet the financial numbers weren’t aligning,” she recalled. The disconnect led her to investigate deeper, uncovering critical gaps between the clinical teams and the revenue cycle process.
Traditionally, physicians have distanced themselves from financial concerns, seeing them as administrative burdens beyond their scope. Haack, however, took a different approach. “We were deeply siloed to our own detriment,” she explained. Clinicians did not fully understand the financial impact of their work, and revenue cycle teams struggled to interpret medical documentation in a way that ensured optimal reimbursement.
Her realization came at a pivotal time for Emory Healthcare, which was transitioning from Cerner to Epic. This shift provided an opportunity to bridge communication gaps and establish clearer documentation processes.
Haack’s ability to see beyond the operating room and into the broader operational challenges of healthcare delivery set her apart. She credits her surgical training for instilling in her a problem-solving mindset. “Surgeons are fixers. We see a problem, and we want to solve it,” she said.
Her journey into financial informatics, however, was not entirely by choice. Personal circumstances required her to take a step back from the operating room, allowing her time to explore administrative and revenue cycle meetings. What she found was an immense opportunity to clarify and optimize financial workflows. “A little can go a long way,” she noted, highlighting how minor documentation adjustments could have significant financial impacts.
Breaking Down Barriers Between Clinicians and Finance
One of the greatest hurdles Haack encountered was the entrenched mindset among physicians that financial matters were outside their domain or that they were already functioning at maximum capacity on clinical issues. But, with a little education, that is starting to change.
“If I don’t ensure my documentation aligns with insurance requirements, my patient could end up with a bill they can’t afford,” she said, emphasizing that financial literacy among clinicians is an essential component of patient advocacy.
Haack believes that medical education must integrate more financial awareness to better prepare future physicians for the realities of modern healthcare. “We do ourselves a huge disservice by remaining ignorant of the rules of engagement that dictate how our field operates,” she said.
Technology as an Ally in Revenue Cycle Management
As health systems increasingly integrate AI into clinical workflows, Haack sees a valuable role for automation in easing documentation burdens. “AI can assist in ambient listening, helping create notes and optimizing them for coding purposes,” she explained. By incorporating these tools, clinicians can maintain focus on patient care while ensuring their work is properly recorded and reimbursed.
Yet, she cautioned against viewing financial optimization purely through a revenue-driven lens. “For me, this isn’t about squeezing every dollar out of a patient encounter—it’s about giving people credit for the work they’ve already done,” she said.
Changing perspectives among clinicians requires a delicate approach. “You can’t walk in and tell a busy surgeon, ‘You have a bunch of denials, I need you to do this and that,’” Haack explained. Instead, she frames the conversation around improving efficiency and reducing workload.
“Physicians want to perform well. If I say, ‘Here’s a way to mitigate denials and make it really easy for you,’ they listen. The key is to show that I’m here to help, not add to their workload.”
Her success has led to increased engagement from clinicians and administrative teams alike. In fact, her role was formally recognized by Emory’s leadership after her work became too valuable to ignore. “I was doing this informally for years before the C-suite said, ‘This is a real job, and you need a title,’” she said.
Take It Away
For health system IT leaders looking to improve revenue cycle management and clinician engagement, Haack’s approach offers several key lessons:
- Break Down Silos: Encourage open dialogue between clinical teams and revenue cycle departments to ensure financial clarity.
- Leverage Technology: AI and automation can streamline documentation and reduce administrative burdens.
- Frame Conversations Thoughtfully: Physicians respond better to discussions framed around efficiency and patient advocacy rather than revenue generation.
- Introduce Financial Literacy in Medical Training: Helping clinicians understand reimbursement structures will improve compliance and reduce denials.
- Offer Support, Not Additional Burdens: Workflows should be designed to make a physician’s life easier, not add complexity.
At the heart of Haack’s work is a deep sense of service—not only to patients but also to the clinicians she supports. “The folks on the clinical front lines deserve all the help we can give them,” she said.
She hopes that more clinicians will step into similar roles, seeing it not as an administrative burden but as a meaningful way to improve the healthcare system. “Ignoring this has been to our own detriment and to that of those we serve.”
