Entry Details

About the Entry

Category: 
Overall Excellence > Best Body of Work > By a Freelance Journalist

Title of entry: 
Jeni Williams

Issue or Publication date:
1. April 30, 2024, “Curing Payment Confusion;” 2. Nov. 15, 2024, "Bridging the Payer-Provider Divide;" 3. April 2024, “Battle of the Bots,” 4. August-September 2024, “UChicago Medicine Grows into Role of AI Innovator; 5. June-July 2024, "Always Moving Forward"

Links to entry URLs

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Entry URL(s), if applicable:
Please enter a URL that will direct judges to the entry: 
https://www.hfma.org/guidance/curing-payment-confusion/
Additional URLs, if needed:
https://www.hfma.org/revenue-cycle/bridging-the-payer-provider-divide/
https://www.hfma.org/revenue-cycle/denials-management/health-systems-start-to-fight-back-against-ai-powered-robots-driving-denial-rates-higher/
https://www.hfma.org/technology/artificial-intelligence/uchicago-medicine-grows-into-role-of-ai-innovator/
https://www.hfma.org/leadership/incoming-chair-marc-scher-wants-to-help-healthcare-finance-professionals-be-more-innovative-and-strategic/

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Best Body of Work Essay: 
Jeni Williams took on the toughest topics facing healthcare finance professionals over the past year, from ways to bridge the payer-provider divide to the need to cure payment confusion for consumers. Her breadth of reporting and the skill she brought to each of the stories in her portfolio demonstrates a nuanced understanding of the issues that matter to this audience of healthcare finance professionals.

The range of articles presented in this portfolio reflect a keen sense for how to develop a story that resonates with readers while challenging long-held beliefs and practices in healthcare or encouraging healthcare finance professionals to approach challenges in new ways:

• In “Curing Payment Confusion,” Williams confronted an ugly truth in healthcare: Despite more than a decade of effort, hospitals are losing the battle to create a financial experience that doesn’t confuse, confound or enrage patients. She spoke to leaders in the industry as well as researchers and consumer advocates to determine what’s missing and what’s needed.

• In “Bridging the Payer-Provider Divide,” Williams spoke with leaders from health plans and health systems as well as industry experts to explore the root causes of frustration that stand in the way of collaboration. Williams pursued sources for three months to present a report that digs deep into the issues and offers a path forward. This article achieves a balanced viewpoint, in part because this topic is one that health plans and health systems are not eager to discuss with a reporter.

• In “Battle of the Bots,” Williams displays creativity and skill, taking a “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots” approach to describing the use of AI by both payers and providers in the fight over claim denials.

• In the profile of HFMA Chair Marc Scher, Williams connects Scher’s theme, inspired by the 10th Mountain Division of the U.S. Army — the country’s first mountaineering unit, comprising champion skiers and expert mountain climbers who would give the United States an edge in World War II battles — to the need for innovation in healthcare finance. She also shares the insight of three professionals familiar with Scher’s leadership.

• In “UChicago Medicine Grows into the Role of AI Innovator,” Williams shared the story of a health system that feared it was trailing the pack in AI adoption, only to find that it fares better than most health systems in the maturity of its approach. She uncovered what distinguishes UChicago’s approach from other organizations and offered lessons learned in how to accelerate AI maturity based on UChicago's efforts and insights from industry experts.

Williams story on “Bridging the Payer-Provider Divide” already has sparked discussion in the industry on how to establish a basis for better collaboration. Meanwhile, “Curing Payment Confusion” became a topic of discussion at HFMA’s Annual Conference and across chapters as leaders sought to reexamine their approach.

For these reasons, HFMA nominates Jeni Williams for the ASBPE “Body of Work: Freelancer” award.