Austin Willuweit on Rural Health Finance, Growth and AI

In this episode, Austin Willuweit, CFO, Monument Health, discusses managing rising Medicare payer mix, tightening margins and disciplined capital allocation while continuing to grow and expand services in rural healthcare. He also shares lessons from integrating Rapid City Medical Center and how AI, automation and autonomous coding are creating near-term opportunities across finance and revenue cycle.

In this episode,Katrina Ascencio-Holmes, BSN, RN, Chief Nurse Officer, Sutter Health, discusses strategies to recruit, retain and develop the health system’s 18,000 nurses, including career development, mentorship, shared governance and frontline engagement. She also shares how Sutter is investing in workplace safety and technology while creating an environment where nurses can build meaningful, long-term careers.

In this episode, Halsey Wise, CEO, Lyric, discusses the importance of trust, truth and transparency in healthcare AI, including decision lineage, governed AI and keeping humans in the loop. He also explores how AI can reduce administrative waste, improve decision-making and strengthen trust among payers, providers and patients.This episode is sponsored by Lyric.

In this episode, John Whyte, MD, MPH, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President of the American Medical Association (AMA), discusses how AI, wearables and continuous health data are reshaping medicine and the physician-patient relationship. He also explores physician burnout, the need to modernize medical education and strategies to address the nation's physician shortage.

In this episode, Laura Dyrda, Vice President, Editor-in-Chief, Becker's Healthcare, discusses the biggest challenges facing health systems, including workforce shortages, reimbursement pressure, access to care, AI strategy and rebuilding trust with patients.

In this episode, Marie Langley, Chief Executive Officer, Desert Valley Medical Group, discusses expanding specialty and outpatient services, strengthening hospital-physician collaboration and addressing healthcare access needs in the High Desert. She also shares the challenges posed by Medi-Cal uncertainty, physician recruitment and plans to expand emergency department capacity.

In this episode, Sheila Augustine, Director, Revenue Cycle, Nebraska Medicine, discusses how AI is helping identify missing charges, automate charge reconciliation and improve revenue cycle workflows while keeping staff engaged in the transformation. She also explores payer denials, Medicaid changes, succession planning and opportunities to further integrate AI across revenue cycle operations.

In this episode, Balaji Raman, MS, MBA, Enterprise Executive Director, Westchester Medical Center Health, discusses the rapid expansion of AI across the revenue cycle, Epic transformation, enterprise standardization and the importance of building strong processes before implementing new technology. He also shares leadership advice on listening, building relationships and creating an environment where teams can thrive.

In this episode, Tami McMasters Gomez, Executive Director, Mid-Revenue Cycle, UC Davis Medical Center, discusses leveraging AI and automation to address workforce shortages, strengthen coding and documentation, and improve financial integrity. She also shares her approach to AI governance, evolving revenue cycle roles and balancing innovation with human expertise.

In this episode, Michael Hassell, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer, Melissa Memorial Hospital, discusses rural healthcare sustainability, expanding specialty services and strengthening ambulance and behavioral health care. He also shares his perspective on revenue cycle management, workforce challenges and advocating for rural hospitals amid evolving healthcare policy.