On a recent episode of The MRO Exchange, Seth Katz, Vice President of Revenue Cycle at University Health in Kansas City, Missouri, shared insights on how innovation, technology, and mission-aligned partnerships have transformed their approach to release of information (ROI), contributing to improved financial performance and compliance.
Operating with lean resources, the system depends on efficient, technology-driven solutions across all departments, especially within revenue cycle operations. Seth, whose career has spanned IT leadership and now revenue cycle management, has been a catalyst in streamlining operations without compromising patient care.
University Health worked with another release of information provider for a number of years, but when inefficiencies began to surface, including manual intake bottlenecks, inconsistent data entry, compliance pressure and inefficient operations, they determined they needed a more advanced, scalable solution.
Why MRO Was the Right Partner for University Health
After careful evaluation, University Health selected MRO as their ROI partner. The decision hinged on two strategic pillars:
- Healthcare expertise with safety-net systems: MRO demonstrated experience with complex organizations like University Health, which operates with nearly 50% of its patient base on Medicaid.
- Innovative technology and automation: MRO’s automation capabilities, including auto-logging and intelligent workflow design, enabled the University Health team to dramatically improve intake speed, data accuracy, and overall throughput.
The implementation was seamless, with visible improvements emerging within the first 60 days.
“For University Health, it wasn’t just about switching vendors. It was about rethinking the entire ROI workflow,” Seth emphasized. “MRO brought us best practices, helped us adapt, and guided our process transformation.”
Rethinking ROI for Long-Term Revenue Cycle Strategy
Seth and his team see ROI not as an isolated function, but as a vital link in the broader revenue cycle. The partnership with MRO has laid the groundwork for future innovation, including a focus on AI-driven automation and interoperability. MRO’s roadmap includes expanded use of artificial intelligence to reduce manual entry and streamline verification. While federal regulations like the 21st Century Cures Act and TEFCA are improving health information exchange, Seth believes that payer-specific ROI workflows will continue to require specialized attention and customization.
“If University Health didn’t have the technology MRO provides, we would’ve had to add staff. This partnership allows us to reinvest savings into our clinical mission,” said Seth.
Lessons for Healthcare Executives
Seth’s experience offers several takeaways for healthcare leaders considering an ROI transformation:
- Audit your existing process: Look for manual bottlenecks, compliance risks, and gaps in analytics capabilities.
- Embrace automation: Technology that supports intake, logging, and secure fulfillment is critical for scalability.
- Choose a mission-aligned partner: Look for vendors who understand your patient population and financial constraints.
- Redefine success metrics: Go beyond turnaround time; measure impact on compliance, staff workload, and financial outcomes.
- Stay adaptable: A willingness to evolve your processes, as well as technology is key to sustained success.
Looking Ahead
As Seth shared during our discussion, the healthcare industry is only becoming more complex. From evolving payer demands to growing compliance risks, hospitals must think strategically about every link in the revenue cycle. A modern, scalable, and intelligent ROI solution is essential.
Listen to the full conversation here.
