Rural areas have long struggled with limited access to quality healthcare, often requiring residents to make long journeys, incur high costs or face other significant challenges when seeking care. Rural hospitals strive to alleviate these issues for underserved communities, and their chief financial officers play a critical role in this effort.
CFOs of rural hospitals are essential to the financial stability of their institutions. They develop strategies, secure funding and ensure affordability of care in support of rural patient populations.
Note: Becker's Healthcare developed this list based on nominations and editorial research. This list is not exhaustive, nor is it an endorsement of included leaders or associated healthcare providers. Leaders cannot pay for inclusion on this list. Leaders are presented in alphabetical order.
Contact Anna Falvey at afalvey@beckershealthcare.com with questions or comments.
Erika Anderson. CFO for Ochsner Health Bayou Region (Raceland, La.). As CFO for the Ochsner Health Bayou Region, Ms. Anderson leads financial strategy and long-term planning for the region. She handles the communication of departmental objectives, as well as the planning, implementation and evaluation of all regional activities related to finance. Joining Ochsner St. Anne Hospital in Raceland in 2010, she advanced from accounting manager to CFO, earning recognition as a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. She has dedicated nearly 80 hours to professional development and graduated from Ochsner’s Momentum mentorship program. Active in promoting diversity and inclusion, she participates in the Bayou Region’s DEI Council and mentors through Ochsner’s Women Empowering Women group. She is dedicated to community service, holding roles with Girls on the Run Bayou Region and the Junior Auxiliary of Houma. Additionally, she serves on the board of the Louisiana chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association.
Christine Asato. Regional CFO of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation-Kauai Region (Kauai, Hawaii). Ms. Asato, a financial healthcare management executive with over 21 years of experience, is responsible for revenue cycle, financial reporting, treasury management, financial analyses, and information technology for the Kauai region of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation. She also formulates and implements the financial strategies for the region. Before joining the Kauai region, Ms. Asato acted as the State of Hawaii's lead practice facilitator for the comprehensive primary care program and served as the director of internal audit and then the director of business intelligence at Hawaii Health Systems. As CFO, she is known for upholding high performance and ethical standards.
Paul Beaudoin. CFO for Day Kimball Health (Putnam, Conn.). Mr. Beaudoin oversees the financial operations of Day Kimball Healthcare, a critical resource in rural Northeast Connecticut that provides essential medical services to 70,000 residents across 13 towns. Amid economic pressures, Mr. Beaudoin navigated the sudden withdrawal of a proposed healthcare affiliation, securing $15 million in legislative financial support to stabilize and improve Day Kimball’s services. His strategic financial maneuvers included a $28.6 million debt reduction through a pension settlement, renegotiation of service agreements and the optimization of property use. He also improved staff retention, engaged consultants for improved efficiency, outsourced revenue cycle management, and secured Medicaid rate enhancements. His extensive career experience, including previous roles at Warwick, R.I.-based Kent Hospital and Memorial Hospital in Pawtucket, R.I., has enabled him to help Day Kimball to maintain high-quality care and expand services, making it the region’s largest employer.
Rebecca Busch. CFO of Spooner (Wis.) Health. Ms. Busch leads financial operations for Spooner Health, a 25-bed critical access hospital. She also handles revenue cycle management, materials management, IT, HIPAA, compliance and dietary departments. Despite her own keen understanding of financial principles, she is also skilled at distilling complicated financial information into layman's terms that anyone can grasp.
David Butler. CFO of Ochsner Rush Health (Meridian, Miss.). Mr. Butler became CFO of the seven-hospital, 30-plus clinic Rush Health System in 2018. His responsibilities include providing leadership, direction and management for financial operations such as accounting, insurance and financial systems throughout the organization. Before joining Rush, Mr. Butler served as a partner with the HORNE LLP healthcare practice group for 17 years.
Carol Crews. Executive Vice President and CFO for Tanner Health System (Carrollton, Ga.). For over 25 years, Ms. Crews has dedicated her career to Tanner Health System, currently serving as its enterprise CFO. In this role, she oversees all business-related activities, including budgets, audits and governmental filings. Her responsibilities extend to accounting, payroll, patient financial services, registration and scheduling, health information management and revenue integrity. Her previous roles at Tanner include serving as director of accounting. A certified public accountant, Ms. Crews is also a member of the West Georgia Chapter of the Georgia Society of CPAs, the Healthcare Financial Management Association, and the Georgia Hospital Association.
Jodie Criswell. CFO of Hammond Henry Hospital (Geneseo, Ill.). Ms. Criswell navigates complex tasks such as cost reports, managed care negotiations, EHRselection and more as CFO of Hammond Henry Hospital. Under her leadership, the hospital has achieved a four-star CMS patient experience, having transformed financial services, registration, scheduling and billing for patients and families. Prior to joining Hammond Henry in 2011, Ms. Criswell was CFO of Mercy County Hospital.
Ann Duffy. CFO of Cottage Hospital (Woodsville, N.H.). Ms. Duffy serves as CFO for Cottage Hospital, a 35-bed critical access hospital. She handles the financial health of both the hospital and its rural health clinic. She is adept at navigating the complexities involved with the financial oversight of a critical access hospital.
Scott Endsley. CFO of Fisher-Titus Medical Center (Norwalk, Ohio). Mr. Endsley serves as the CFO of Fisher-Titus Medical Center, where he ensures alignment with the organization's mission and vision while overseeing operational and capital planning, payer reimbursement strategies and fiscal operating reports. On a divisional level, Mr. Endsley sets the strategic plan, organizational structure, and operations for finance departments. Under his leadership, Fisher-Titus received the Syntellis MVP award for innovative use of financial analytic tools.
Christopher Frysztak. Chief Financial Officer at Western Arizona Regional Medical Center (Bullhead City). Mr. Frysztak has been with Western Arizona Regional Medical Center for four years, leading it out of an unstable financial period. Due to frequent leadership turnover, the community struggled to trust the medical organization. Mr. Frysztak has stabilized the financial department, making sure invoices are paid in a timely manner. He has also created a more positive culture for all employees at the center.
Mark Gross. Vice President and CFO of Hillsdale (Mich.) Hospital. Mr. Gross, the vice president and CFO at Hillsdale Hospital, has significantly advanced the institution’s financial management over the past six years. Overseeing numerous departments, his responsibilities include budget management, fiscal services and contract negotiations. His tenure since April 2018 has been marked by improvements in revenue cycle efficiencies and financial reporting. Mr. Gross' strategies, including renegotiating payer contracts and implementing budgeting software, have streamlined processes and boosted revenue. In addition, his efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic ensured financial stability by securing necessary funding. Under his leadership, Hillsdale Hospital has seen a substantial financial turnaround, with a projected 12% revenue increase for the 2024 fiscal year.
Shane Hilton. CFO of Ballad Health (Johnson City, Tenn). In April 2024, Ballad Health appointed Mr. Hilton as its new CFO. He brings over 20 years of experience within the system. He began his healthcare career in 1991 as a pharmacy technician at Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport, Tenn. He gained further experience as a hospital accountant and finance director outside Ballad Health before rejoining Ballad Health in 2000. Since, he has held various financial leadership roles, including senior accountant, controller of regional financial operations, CFO of Washington County operations and CFO of corporate, retail and non-acute services. Mr. Hilton aims to make Ballad a model for rural healthcare.
Greg Jerger. CFO of Memorial Health Care Systems (Seward, Neb.). Mr. Jerger oversees all financial functions of the hospital and healthcare system, which includes the accounting team, hospital business office, compliance, budget, audit and tax filings. He ensures cost effectiveness, manages all financial risks and reports the financial status of the healthcare system to the CEO and board of directors. He has served in his role as CFO of Memorial Health Care Systems for over 30 years.
Greg Jones. CFO of Wayne Memorial Hospital (Jesup, Ga.). Mr. Jones has served as CFO of Wayne Memorial Hospital since 2007. During his tenure, the hospital has experienced a significant increase in net income, with a 2.5 times higher figure than the previous year, with patient revenue also rising by 20.1 percent. Additionally, Mr. Jones oversaw the successful opening of a new home healthcare division, Community Home Care, in six Georgia counties.
Catherine Keck. CFO at Decatur County Memorial (Greensburg, Ind.). Ms. Keck is responsible for finance leadership, accounting, revenue cycle, information technology and supply chain management for Decatur. She engages in professional organizations, pays attention to trends and implements best practices for the system. She has over 30 years of experience in health finance, and specializes in the reporting and auditing process.
Travis Lakey. CFO at Mayers Memorial Healthcare District (Fall River Mills, Calif.). Mr. Lakey is responsible for all financial operations at Mayers Memorial, managing financial risks, records and finance planning. He supervises the billing, finance and admissions departments, and is the chief financial spokesperson for the organization. In his 13 years with the system, he has worked with management to reduce spending, increase charge capture, renegotiate contracts and handle outstanding debts. He led the organization from the brink of bankruptcy to financially stable in five years. He also increased the system's assets and cash-on-hand.
Deborah Mann. Vice President of Finance and CFO of Schneck Medical Center (Seymour, Ind.). Ms. Mann serves as vice president and CFO at Schneck Medical Center, a healthcare center that offers services including maternity, orthopedics, rehabilitation, neurology, women's health, surgery and more. She jump-started her career at Schneck as a staff accountant in 1994 and has worked her way through the ranks. She served as director of accounting and controller before her promotion to vice president of Fiscal Services at the hospital. She is also a certified public accountant.
Chad Miller. CFO for West Jefferson Medical Center (Marrero, La.). In July 2023, Mr. Miller became CFO for West Jefferson Medical Center, part of New Orleans-based LCMC Health. A certified public accountant, he brings extensive experience in healthcare financial management to the role. Notably, he served as CFO at Health Management Associates, where he adeptly managed financial oversight and strategy. Now at the 419-bed West Jefferson Medical Center, he expertly navigates regulatory changes, optimizes financial performance and ensures its financial stability.
Jeff Mock. CFO for North Coast Network of Adventist Health (Roseville, Calif.). Mr. Mock is the CFO for Adventist Health's North Coast Network, which includes four hospitals and over 90 clinics serving small, rural communities in northern California. He is responsible for the financial operations and strategic assessment of each service line and department, ensuring access to high-quality healthcare across five counties. He brings a deep understanding of the healthcare ecosystem and extensive experience in financial oversight for various healthcare areas, including ancillary services and post-acute care. His efforts have led to a 21% improvement in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization margin through efficiency standardization. He has successfully evaluated and implemented business ventures, earning trust within the clinical service lines of the network. Before his current role, Mr. Mock held positions as a financial operations executive for Adventist Health and CFO for their post-acute care services and hospital at home program.
Greg Moore. Regional CFO for Deaconess Health System (Evansville, Ind.). Mr. Moore, who initially joined Deaconess as CFO of Union County Hospital, now serves as regional CFO for all critical access hospitals within the Deaconess Health System. His role involves overseeing financial operations for nine hospitals, representing them on their respective boards and advising their CFOs. Mr. Moore ensures financial accuracy through collaboration with the system finance team and department managers, fostering robust financial health across the organization. He has excelled in both financial and executive leadership positions over his 29-year career. His accomplishments include leading a $1.38 million surgery refresh project, working with the state hospital association and securing a rural health loan. His efforts have helped in the acquisition of updated surgery equipment, enhancing service offerings and operational efficiency.
Kaley Neal. CFO of Shenandoah Medical Center (Shenandoah, Iowa). Since 2017, Ms. Neal has directed the financial activities for Shenandoah Medical Center, a critical access hospital that includes three rural health clinics, a co-owned ambulance service with the city of Shenandoah, and a philanthropic foundation. Each year, the medical center generates almost $50 million in net operating revenue. Throughout her tenure, Ms. Neal has orchestrated the growth and expansion of the medical center, shaping it into one of Iowa's strongest operating facilities. She helped complete a $25 million facility expansion that added a medical office building, surgery center and emergency department, and also oversaw the financing of a $13 million cancer center. Her leadership has helped to overhaul the medical center's revenue cycle and has transformed it from pain point to strong suit. Ms. Neal is also a member of Clarinda City Council in Clarinda, Iowa, and serves as a board member of Iowa's Healthcare Financial Management Association.
Jay Noyes. CFO of Castleview Hospital (Price, Utah). After 15 years with Castleview Hospital, Mr. Noyes stepped into his role as CFO of the organization at the end of October 2022. Previously, he acted as financial controller and ethics and compliance officer. In these roles, he oversaw the 39-bed facility's daily financials and managed the financials for the 2015 emergency room and intensive care unit expansion, as well as the 2017 urgent care and retail pharmacy build. Castleview Hospital provides inpatient and outpatient services ranging from emergency care to surgery to labor and delivery, among others. Mr. Noyes aims to build on the hospital's strong existing foundation and ultimately improve the well-being of the community.
Cheryl Perry. CFO at McAlester (Okla.) Regional Health Center. Ms. Perry oversees everything finance related for McAlester, including accounting, patient financial services, patient access, revenue cycle and medical records. She is a strong advocate for financial education, ensuring that leaders understand finances and how they impact organizational decisions.
Marco Priolo. Vice President of Finance and CFO for University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health (Bel Air). Mr. Priolo is responsible for overseeing financial operations for University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health, leveraging his expertise in business development, accounting and strategic financial planning to make impactful investments for the community. He collaborates closely with clinicians and operators to tackle healthcare's toughest challenges, aiming to provide optimal patient care. His previous roles at Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Medicine included director of financial innovation and director of business development. Outside of his CFO role, he is an adjunct faculty member in finance at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Johns Hopkins University. He is actively involved in the community, serving on numerous boards, coaching youth and volunteering as an assistant coach for the Johns Hopkins University wrestling team.
Megan Rath. CFO of South Central Health (Wishek, N.D.). Ms. Rath's duties as CFO of South Central Health include managing budgets, establishing policy, financial decision-making, controlling margins and debt, and making decisions about hospital assets and resources. She also develops and implements financial strategies to improve the hospital's business performance. Ms. Rath's hard work and dedication played a vital role in bringing the organization from the brink of closure to its current state of financial stability.
Colleen Reid. CFO of Carson Valley Health (Gardnerville, Nev.). Ms. Reid brings over 20 years of expertise in finance and operations to Carson Valley Health as CFO. In her role, Ms. Reid prioritizes the well-being of employees and patients, as well as fosters strategic partnerships with operational teams and implements innovative approaches to optimize reimbursement processes and improve data reporting accuracy. Under her leadership, Carson Valley issued bond financing for a 44,000 square foot expansion, enabling the provision of accessible and quality care to rural communities. Prior to joining Carson Valley in 2018, Ms. Reid was the controller at UC Benioff Children's Hospital for 11 years.
LuCinda Rider. Vice President and CFO of UHS Delaware Valley Hospital (Walton, N.Y.). Ms. Rider is responsible for the financial operations for UHS Delaware Valley Hospital, a progressive critical access hospital in upstate New York. For over a decade, she has led the hospital to a positive bottom line. She has also implemented a strategic investment and cost containment plan that resulted in over 250 of cash on hand. Outside of her role as CFO, Ms. Rider acts as a board chair for UHS Employee Federal Credit Union. Prior to becoming CFO, she was controller for UHS Delaware Valley Hospital.
Derek Schaff. CFO and COO of Linton (N.D.) Regional Medical Center. As CFO, Mr. Scaff oversees multiple departments including IT, health information management and the business office at Linton Regional Medical center. Under his guidance, denials have plummeted from over 20% to less than 5%, while bill processing has improved in both speed and accuracy, resulting in increased cash on hand and cash flow. Mr. Schaff's implementation of enhanced internal controls has eliminated deficiencies, and his strategic analysis of service agreements has maximized the facility's compensation. Mr. Schaff also played an integral part in the successful implementation of a new systemwide EHR. He also serves as COO for the medical center.
Brad Sinclair. CFO for East Jefferson General Hospital (Metairie, La.). Mr. Sinclair, formerly senior vice president of finance at New Orleans-based LCMC Health corporate, joined East Jefferson General Hospital as CFO. He first joined LCMC Health in 2022 after previously serving as CFO at Touro in New Orleans, where he enhanced financial strategies and promoted fiscal responsibility. With nearly two decades of experience in hospital and health system management, Mr. Sinclair's career background also includes roles as health system CFO at The University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson and CFO at Lima Memorial Health System in Ohio. With his extensive experience and proven leadership in financial management, he is dedicated to advancing fiscal health and operational efficiency at East Jefferson General Hospital.
Stacy Taylor. CFO at Nemaha County Hospital (Auburn, Neb.). Ms. Taylor stepped into the CFO role 16 years ago, assuming all financial and business office responsibilities. She provides monthly financial statistics to the board of directors and focuses on adaptability to handle immediate system needs. Ms. Taylor helped the system to go paperless, shifting records to a new EHR. She is also focused on creating a positive workplace culture, leading "core action values" trainings and implementing a "your ideas matter" system for hospital employees to submit feedback.
Nick Townsend. CFO of Union General Health System (Blairsville, Ga.). Mr. Townsend is responsible for the overall financial strategy and management of Union General Health System. The system consists of two rural hospitals and several specialty clinics. Mr. Townsend has implemented growth strategies to increase net assets and recruit more physicians. Under his leadership, the health system has seen 10 percent growth year over year for the past seven years.
Ashley Votruba. CFO at Sweetwater (Tenn.) Hospital Association. Ms. Votruba is responsible for the day-to-day financial operations and the financial growth of Sweetwater. She oversees $50 million in gross revenues, helping the system to grow and prosper. She also oversees the hospital's billing and IT departments. She is a continuing presence in the documentation system, upgrading computer program tools for easier nurse documentation and supply charges.
Joe Wanner. CFO for Bartlett Regional Hospital (Juneau, Alaska). Mr. Wanner rejoined Bartlett Regional Hospital as CFO in November 2023, having previously served as the hospital's CFO and controller. Before his return, he was the CFO and COO at Wallowa County Health Care District in Oregon, which includes a 25-bed hospital, four clinics and a senior living center. Mr. Wanner's career has oscillated between positions in Juneau and Oregon since 2011, when he started as Bartlett's controller. He served as Wallowa's CFO from 2013 to 2017 before a brief return to Bartlett as CFO, then went back to Oregon. His extensive experience in financial leadership across multiple healthcare organizations has honed his ability to navigate complex healthcare financial operations, serve the hospital and assist the broader healthcare community.
Danielle Willis. CFO for Lakeview Hospital (Covington, La.). In April 2024, Ms. Willis was named CFO for Lakeview Hospital, part of New Orleans-based LCMC Health. In this role, she leads Lakeview’s executive team and is responsible for the hospital's financial operations and performance. She brings more than a decade of career experience to the position, spanning healthcare, nonprofit, government and real estate. Most recently, she served as CFO and chief administrative officer at New Orleans East Hospital, which is also part of LCMC Health. There, she excelled in financial management, strategic planning and operations.
Mark Woolery. CFO of Mee Memorial Healthcare System (King City, Calif.). As CFO, Mr. Woolery owns finance and financial strategy at Mee Memorial Healthcare System. His thorough knowledge of rural healthcare has significantly contributed to the financial turnaround of the organization and the wellbeing of the communities it serves. Thanks to his guidance, the system was awarded the "King City Business of Year Award" by the King City Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture in 2021.
Andy Zukowski. CFO for ECU Health (Greenville, N.C.). Mr. Zukowski has served as CFO at ECU Health since 2022, overseeing financial operations for both ECU Health and the Brody School of Medicine. Part of the shared leadership team, he aims to create efficiencies that benefit patients and care teams. With over 20 years of experience in value-based care and strategic financial planning, Mr. Zukowski's previous roles include CFO for Raleigh, N.C.-based UNC Rex Healthcare and associate CFO for the Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan Health System. He has played a critical role in stabilizing ECU Health’s operations post-pandemic and rebuilding the revenue cycle to enhance patients' financial experience. He supports initiatives to attract and retain qualified team members, including a wage increase and funding for expanded medical education. His leadership focuses on financial stewardship, smart investments and innovations that improve access to high-quality care for rural communities in eastern North Carolina.