Professional Overview
Susan Rutledge is an accomplished healthcare executive with over 15 years of experience driving revenue cycle optimization and patient financial services excellence. As the Director of Patient Financial Services at Community Medical Center, she leverages her deep industry expertise to oversee all aspects of the revenue cycle, ensuring effective billing, collections, and reimbursement processes.
Experience Summary
Current Role
As the Director of Patient Financial Services at Community Medical Center, Susan is responsible for managing the end-to-end revenue cycle, including patient registration, insurance verification, charge capture, claims submission, and collections. Under her leadership, the patient financial services department has achieved industry-leading cash collection rates and reduced denials by over 20%. Susan's strategic focus on process improvements and technology enablement has enhanced the patient financial experience and boosted organizational profitability.
Career Progression
Prior to her current role, Susan served as the Revenue Cycle Manager at Regional Medical Center, where she spearheaded the implementation of a new electronic health records system and streamlined billing workflows to improve cash flow and reduce days in accounts receivable by 12%. Earlier in her career, she held various patient account specialist and financial counselor positions, gaining hands-on experience in patient access, billing, and insurance navigation.
Academic Background
Susan holds a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration from the University of Southern Mississippi. She is a Certified Healthcare Financial Professional (CHFP) and a member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA).
Areas of Expertise
- Revenue cycle management
- Patient financial services operations
- Billing and collections optimization
- Healthcare technology implementation and optimization
- Team leadership and process improvement
Professional Impact
Under Susan's leadership, Community Medical Center has consistently exceeded key revenue cycle performance metrics, including a 98% clean claims rate and a 95% patient satisfaction score for the financial services department. She is a recognized thought leader in the industry, frequently speaking at regional HFMA conferences and contributing to industry publications on emerging revenue cycle trends and best practices.
Conclusion
With her proven track record of driving sustainable revenue cycle improvements and enhancing the patient financial experience, Susan Rutledge is a valuable asset to the healthcare organizations she serves. Driven by a passion for operational excellence, she is well-positioned to continue advancing the financial performance and patient-centric focus of Community Medical Center.
