Kevin Gaudette started serving as the chief revenue officer of Freeman Health System in Joplin, Mo., in August.
He previously served as vice president of finance and revenue cycle for Freeman, which is a nonprofit system serving patients in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
He said his new role includes ensuring that the system's facilities in southeast Kansas operate at optimal levels as well as strengthening Freeman's footprint in that market.
Mr. Gaudette oversees various areas of the system in all markets Freeman serves, including admissions, patient care coordinators, the coding department, chargemaster, documentation review auditors and Freeman's physician reimbursement center.
While the chief revenue officer role is not new to hospitals, he said he believes the title is aligned with healthcare industry trends in terms of finance and revenue cycle.
Here, Mr. Gaudette discusses his new role, the goals he has and the chief revenue officer role.
Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for length and clarity.
Question: What is the main difference between your prior and current roles?
Kevin Gaudette: Prior to being named the chief revenue officer for Freeman, I was vice president of finance, and I had responsibility over the revenue cycle. My move [to the new role] has really picked up oversight of our southeast Kansas region, and I'll be overseeing the vice president of regional services in our southeast Kansas market.
Q: How are you feeling about the new role so far?
KG: I feel good about it. The opportunity to grow within Freeman Health System is a personal accomplishment that I've always wanted to achieve. But it's also a professional accomplishment that the organization would recognize me in this way.
Q: What are your goals moving forward?
KG: As it pertains to the new duties, my goals are to see that we strengthen our footprint in southeast Kansas, continue to foster key relationships with different organizations in the southeast Kansas market and continue providing high-quality healthcare to the communities of southeast Kansas.
Q: You don't see the chief revenue officer title at every hospital. What do you make of the title and its place in hospital revenue cycle?
KG: I have seen the title used at other hospitals. I think it's a recognition of the changing environment of healthcare on the revenue side and the importance of staying on top of all those regulatory and financial changes across the spectrum of payers. And with all the regulatory changes, making sure there's more of an emphasis on ensuring the revenue cycle is healthy and strong in an institution will become more important and viable as a physician in hospitals, I believe.
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