Accurate Work Payment: Get Paid What You’re Owed
Dr. Carla Haack is revolutionizing how we think about healthcare finances. The VP/Chief Financial Informatics Officer at Emory Healthcare focuses on improving dialog between clinicians and revenue cycle teams, addressing the critical need for accurate work payment. Discover how Haack, a former surgeon, champions financial literacy and the essential role AI can play in easing documentation burdens, thereby optimizing coding and ensuring clinicians receive appropriate credit. Breaking down these silos improves revenue cycle management and empowers patient advocacy. This piece, reported by News directory 3, details how Haack is reshaping the healthcare landscape by bringing financial awareness into medical education. it’s not about squeezing every dollar,but about fairly compensating healthcare professionals and streamlining a complex system.Find out what’s next.
Emory Healthcare Informatics Chief Bridges Gap Between Clinicians, Finance
Updated March 27, 2025
Dr. Carla Haack, VP/Chief Financial Informatics Officer at Emory Healthcare, is spearheading an effort to improve communication between clinicians and revenue cycle teams. Her role highlights the growing need to bridge the gap between clinical practice and financial operations in healthcare.
Haack, originally a surgeon, transitioned into informatics after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed financial strains on healthcare systems.She observed a disconnect: clinicians were busier than ever, but financial numbers weren’t reflecting their efforts.
Her inquiry revealed that clinicians frequently enough lacked understanding of the financial impact of their work,while revenue cycle teams struggled to interpret medical documentation for optimal reimbursement. “We were deeply siloed to our own detriment,” Haack said.
Emory Healthcare’s transition to Epic provided an possibility to address these communication gaps and streamline documentation processes.
Haack credits her surgical training with fostering a problem-solving approach. “Surgeons are fixers,” she said. “We see a problem, and we want to solve it.”
One challenge Haack faced was the perception among physicians that financial matters were outside their scope. She emphasizes that financial literacy is an essential component of patient advocacy. “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.
Haack advocates for integrating financial awareness into medical education. “We do ourselves a huge disservice by remaining ignorant of the rules of engagement that dictate how our field operates,” she said.
She sees a role for AI in easing documentation burdens and optimizing coding. “AI can assist in ambient listening, helping create notes,” haack explained.
However, she cautions against solely focusing on revenue. “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.
Haack’s approach involves framing conversations around efficiency and workload reduction. “Physicians want to perform well,” she said. “The key is to show that I’m here to help, not add to their workload.”
Her success led to formal recognition from Emory’s leadership. “I was doing this informally for years before the C-suite said,’This is a real job,and you need a title,'” she said.
What’s next
haack hopes more clinicians will embrace similar roles to improve the healthcare system. She believes that open communication, technology, and financial literacy are key to optimizing revenue cycle management and clinician engagement.