Supporting Emdeon’s Mission to Simplify the Business of Healthcare
Jeff Kerley, Emdeon’s Senior Vice President Corporate Controller and Administrative Services, has vast responsibilities over many areas within our company. He leads a team of 78 professionals to manage Emdeon’s financial and back office operations, as well as purchasing, real estate, security and business continuity.
His attempt to specifically describe what he does in the course of a typical work day epitomizes the term “all over the board.” However, get to know him and his work a little more closely, and a common theme arises that unifies all that authority and activity: relationship building.
Sure, “relationship building” isn’t the core skill you might expect for the Controller of a multi-tiered, billion dollar company. However, the ability to connect with internal and external customers and get to know them is precisely how Kerley succeeds in his role. The insights he gains through relationship building empowers him to make the most informed financial and administrative decisions for Emdeon and, thus, for our customers.
Anytime our company expands through acquisition, Kerley is a key leader in the integration efforts, blending newly acquired business units into the fabric of the Emdeon corporate structure. He builds relationships not only with top executives but whole leadership teams to guide the potentially precarious process of merging. It stands to reason he’s also become a trusted go-to for those business units to stay informed and connected to the home office.
“Up-front I spend a lot of time...them getting to know me, me getting to know them...so we build a good rapport from the beginning,” he explains.
When your organization was considering becoming a customer of Emdeon, it’s highly likely that Kerley played a role in how we responded, reviewing our RFP response or perhaps approving the contract before it was released for approval. Though you may never interact with him directly, he’s influenced many of the innovative solutions you use each day.
He also plays a part in many behind the curtain scenarios in which Emdeon forges unique, customized solutions based on specific customers’ needs.
“We step up for our customers…to be a great business partner. We help in ways that other companies simply would not,” states Kerley. “That’s what it takes to build relationships that stick.”
Kerley’s relationships also include professional connections beyond our company and customer base. He’s constantly in tune with financial news and Emdeon business leaders, staying on top of trends and market concerns. This is how he knows that tax codes, Medicare reimbursements and the ever-shifting political climate are some of the resounding issues that business leaders face today.
In translating the concerns of the market into the solutions that Emdeon offers, Kerley is clear and certain that an effective route to financial health for a hospital or health system is to file claims correctly from the start.
“Think of the claim and cash as one in the same,” he advises. “Filing claims correctly the first time can prevent them from getting kicked back which affects cash flow timing. The cleaner a claim is submitted, the faster the provider can expect reimbursement. That’s where our industry leading solutions come into play,” Kerley says.
Prior to joining Emdeon eight years ago, Kerley served as Divisional Controller for Cardinal Health. His tenure there was an excellent training ground for his work at Emdeon, as he dealt with the same customers faced with some of these same challenges. The experiences and the relationships translate.
“No matter what, relationships matter,” Kerley summarizes. “We work smarter when there’s trust and a business partnership...when we’re in it together.”
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