Northern California HFMA

Brandon Burnett & team!

Antonio Fonseca
Debbie Garrett
Geneva Stewart
Jennifer Miksch Burke
Ramona Criado Hernandez
Lori Guiterrez
Mike Allen

Today we pause to honor the life and legacy of one of our founding partners, George Colman, who passed away this past Saturday, March 21, 2026. His dedication to this firm, to his clients, and to the people around him left a mark that will never fade. We will miss him deeply, and our hearts go out to his family and to all who loved him.

🤍 Rest in peace, George.

🚨 GENERAL SESSION SPOTLIGHT 🚨

📅 January 20
⏰ 10:00–11:00 AM
📍 Rivoli C
🎓 1.0 NASBA CPE (Specialized Knowledge)

Sweeping Medicaid reforms and $1 trillion in projected cuts are forcing hospitals to rethink everything from revenue mix to mission sustainability. This isn’t another panel of recycled talking points. It’s a fast-paced, moderator-led Crossfire that puts real leaders in the hot seat to debate how different hospital types are preparing for what’s next.

💥 What makes this session different?
• Side-by-side strategies from three very different health systems
• Visual dashboards modeling uncompensated care, ED overuse, and budget pressure
• No vendor pitches. No outdated playbooks. Just real-world decisions for 2026
• A sharp moderator wrap-up tying strategy back to mission and market reality

🎯 Who should attend: Revenue cycle, finance, and operations leaders looking for practical, risk-based frameworks, not one-size-fits-all answers.

🎤 Meet the Speakers
💎 Sheldon A Pink, MBA, FHFMA, LSSBB
A nationally recognized revenue cycle strategist with 20+ years of experience, Sheldon is known for turning complex challenges into actionable strategy, globally and domestically, with humor, candor, and clarity.

💎Anthony Cunningham
Overseeing $3.5B in net patient revenue, Anthony brings deep experience from large-scale health systems, consulting, and executive leadership grounded in transformation at scale.

💎Salonia Brown
A visionary leader with a 360-degree RCM perspective across hospitals, physicians, vendors, and private equity, Sal is known for solving healthcare’s toughest problems with creativity and precision.

💎Blake Evans, MBA, CHFP
With 18+ years across academic, community, and consulting environments, Blake leads enterprise-wide alignment, automation, and digital transformation while building high-performing cultures.

⚡ Bottom line: There are many ways to weather the Medicaid storm but only if you understand your waters, your vessel, and your mission. 👉 Don’t miss this conversation!

🎯 Ready, Set, Certify! | CRCR Bootcamp for Exam Readiness
📍 HFMA WRS Pre-Con Morning Workshop
🗓 January 18, 2026 | 8:00 AM–4:00 PM PT

Preparing for the CRCR exam or looking to strengthen your revenue cycle foundation? This full-day, intensive bootcamp covers all four CRCR units and is designed to equip participants with the knowledge, confidence, and practical tools needed to pass the exam and drive real organizational impact.

What you’ll gain:
✔️ Strategies to enhance patient experience while improving financial performance
✔️ Proven approaches to reduce denials and simplify collections
✔️ Regulatory insights to ensure compliance
✔️ Tactics to improve cross-functional collaboration, staff confidence, and job satisfaction
✔️ Methods to measure revenue cycle proficiency, recognize expertise, and reduce turnover

👥 Learn from exceptional industry leaders:
🔹 Howard Kung, CPA, MBA, FHFMA, FACHE
A nationally recognized leader with 20+ years of experience across premier institutions including Mayo Clinic and UCLA Health, overseeing CDI, Coding, Revenue Integrity, and HIM.
🔹 Irene Sachakov, CRCR, CHFP, CHRI
A revenue integrity and charge capture expert with 20+ years of experience spanning revenue operations, healthcare IT, and Epic CDM.
🔹 Jason Metcalf, FHFMA, CRCR
A long-time HFMA leader who has helped proctor and prepare 40+ professionals for CRCR certification and taught CRCR nationally for five years.
🔹 Tori Wason, BS, CHAM, CRCR, CHFP, CSAF, CSAPM
A seasoned leader with deep experience across outpatient imaging, HR, payroll, and revenue cycle, and current Secretary of the AZ HFMA Chapter.
🔹 ROBERT KIESECKER III, MBA
A transformational leader with expertise in coding, billing, and performance improvement; Arizona HFMA Board member and national advisory contributor.
🔹 Nicole Helfrich CIC, COC, CPC, EHRC, CHFP, CRCR, CSPR
A passionate advocate for professional development with 20+ years in revenue cycle leadership and former AZHFMA Certification Chair.

📣 If CRCR certification is on your 2026 goals list or you’re committed to elevating revenue cycle excellence, this is a can’t-miss pre-conference experience.