Coordinating the relationship between nurses and finance professionals is just as critical as is strengthening hospital and physician alignment to drive cost and quality improvement, said Pamela Thompson, CEO of the Association of Nurse Executives. Thompson spoke during a Monday morning session at the Healthcare Financial Management Association 2014 Annual National Institute in Las Vegas.
“There is a gap between clinicians and the modeling that is happening around finance,” Thompson said. “Sometimes that relationship isn't collaborative, but I don't think we can do the work we need to do in healthcare reform without this relationship.”
One of the ways the association is working to break down barriers and bridge the gap between those in finance offices and those on hospital floors is by educating and retraining its workforce. Last year, AONE and HFMA partnered on a certificate program in healthcare finance for nurse executives. The two-day workshop provided students with an overview of executive-level healthcare finance, from revenue-cycle operations to budgeting and forecasting, to financial reporting.