By Jonathan Wiik, Vice President, Health Insights, FinThrive
For the eleventh time, I found myself in Las Vegas for the HFMA Western Region Symposium, and this year’s event was one for the books. As the second-largest HFMA gathering, it brought together a powerhouse of healthcare finance, revenue cycle, and policy leaders from across Regions 10 and 11. Over four days of candid conversations, one urgent message echoed through every session and hallway discussion: healthcare leaders must stop waiting for clarity and start leading through complexity—now.
I was honored to present among some of our industry's top disruptors, and after countless conversations with respected colleagues, the central theme was unmistakable. The future of healthcare finance will be shaped not by the uncertainty we face, but by how decisively we, the HFMA tribe, respond to it.
Setting the Tone: A Call to Lead Now
The symposium kicked off with a deeply personal fireside chat with HFMA National Chair Kiran Batheja. Tracing his journey from his father’s community medical practice to national leadership, Kiran centered his message on servant leadership and continuous growth. His call to action was direct: adopt a "Lead Now" mindset, built on bold aspiration and intentional networking.
Kiran Batheja’s Key Messages:
- Embrace servant leadership as the foundation for impact
- Prioritize lifelong learning to fuel professional growth
- Build strong, intentional networks to drive change
- Approach leadership with bold aspiration and daily intention
This opening was powerfully reinforced by HFMA CEO Ann Jordan. She spotlighted the realities facing our field—accelerating AI adoption, capital constraints, policy instability and workforce shortages. Ann challenged us to stop admiring problems and focus on decisive action.
Ann Jordan’s Mandate:
- Get comfortable with uncertainty and change
- Shift from hero leadership to system leadership
- Redefine success beyond annual margins
- Anchor decisions in transparency and community impact
Leadership Lessons from the Ice and the Table
The momentum continued with a memorable keynote by Jim Craig, the legendary goaltender for the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” U.S. Olympic Hockey Team. As a huge fan of the movie "Miracle," hearing his perspective was unforgettable. He translated high-stakes athletic lessons into powerful insights for healthcare—stressing trust, preparation and resilience. Craig reminded us that teams perform best when appreciation, alignment, and purpose are crystal clear.
Transitioning from the hockey rink to the world of contracts, Eric Meinkow of Guidehouse, provided an insider’s view into the payer mindset. With margins tightening, Medicare Advantage pressures rising, and increased RADV audits, payers are shifting their business models. The key takeaway? Providers must look past transactional contracts and lean into true partnerships, leveraging data to showcase their impact on Star Ratings, HEDIS, and network adequacy.
The Future Is Here: AI and Bold Ideas
I’ll admit I’ve sometimes approached AI sessions with skepticism, but this year changed my outlook. Harpaul Sambhi, Founder and CEO of Magical, explained why traditional RPA has reached its limits. He introduced agentic AI as the next leap—adaptive systems orchestrating entire revenue cycle workflows, from eligibility to denials. This shift enables human teams to move into supervisory roles, managing technology instead of being replaced by it.
Key takeaways from Harpaul Sambhi's session:
- Agentic AI adapts and evolves, whereas RPA often breaks under new demands.
- Teams are elevated to supervisors—technology handles the routine so people can focus on complex problem-solving.
- The biggest return on investment is found in tackling denials, prior authorizations, DRG downgrades and underpayments.
The "Innovation Gauntlet" was another highlight—a rapid-fire, Shark Tank-style session led by Niobis Queiro. Startups pitched to a panel of top executives from systems like Mayo Clinic, Kaiser Permanente, and Sutter Health.
From the Innovation Gauntlet, several messages stood out:
- Leaders want innovation that integrates quickly and seamlessly into their workflows
- The need to cut friction and streamline adoption is paramount
- Measurable, rapid ROI will win support from hospital executives
Hats off to Lindsey Joseph and Bed Connect for their impressive, winning pitch.
RELATED: Best Practices for Collaborating With Payers
Policy and Financial Strategy: Navigating the Maze
No conversation about healthcare finance feels complete without diving into policy and strategy. Shawn Stack, truly one of the sharpest policy thinkers, delivered a timely update on the federal landscape. He touched on everything from Medicare Advantage regulations to site neutrality and price transparency, urging leaders to navigate change while preserving both access and financial strength.
"Medicaid Crossfire" was hands-down my favorite session. Moderator Sheldon Pink set the pace, as panelists from Methodist Health System and LCMC Health tackled real dashboards and honest trade-offs. They debated how Medicaid redeterminations and eligibility reforms are reshaping hospital revenue profiles. It was a masterclass in transparent, data-driven dialogue.
The drive for proactive financial control continued in a think tank session led by Noel Juaire of Stanford Health Care and Wendy Burns from OHSU. Leaders examined moving beyond reactive AR cleanup toward provider-driven management using predictive analytics and creative contracting.
Resilience, Culture, and a Final Call to Action
The symposium wrapped up with powerful lessons on resilience and culture. Aron Ralston, whose survival story inspired the film 127 Hours, shared insights on leading under pressure. His message—pause, breathe, think, plan and act—resonated deeply for all navigating today’s relentless challenges. I now appreciate the "rocks" and tough moments in my own journey that have shaped my outlook.
A general session on culture, featuring Kari Cornicelli and Gerilynn Sevenikar, hammered home that culture is operational and intentional. It’s the engine for driving transformation—not just an abstract idea.
A Final Word on Urgency and Action
The HFMA Western Region Symposium 2026 delivered an unmistakable message: the organizations that will thrive won’t be the ones waiting for stability. They’ll be the ones leading through instability, armed with courage and clarity.
Policy turbulence, payer pressure, rapid AI progress, and operational strain aren’t going away. But neither is our collective resolve to lead with data, innovate boldly and shape cultures that create measurable impact.
The tools are here. The insights are here. The moment is now.
Healthcare doesn’t need more observers. It needs leaders—ready to take action when it matters most. The mandate is clear. Let’s lead forward.
Interested in learning more about FinThrive? Contact us here.
About the Author
Jonathan G. Wiik, MHA, MBA, FHFMA
Vice President, Health Insights
Jonathan Wiik, VP of Health Insights at FinThrive, has over 25 years of healthcare experience in acute care, health IT and insurance settings. He started his career as a hospital transporter and served in clinical operations, patient access, billing, case management and many other roles at a large not-for-profit acute care hospital and prominent commercial payer before serving as Chief Revenue Officer. Wiik works closely with the market and hospitals on industry best practices for revenue management. He is considered an expert in the industry for healthcare finance, legislation, revenue management and strategic transformation.
