The 229 Podcast: Exploring How Emory Cut Denials in Half with Carla Haack, MD

October 30, 2025: Healthcare systems often lose millions in revenue, not because clinicians aren't doing the work, but because critical informatics get lost between the operating room and the billing department. Dr. Carla Haack, Chief Financial Informatics Officer at Emory Healthcare, discovered this gap firsthand when she stepped away from surgery during the pandemic. In this conversation, she reveals how a change to surgical debriefs resulted in a million dollars in just 21 days and how Emory reduced its denial rate from 20% to 10%. Discover why bridging clinical care and revenue cycle management requires more than technology—it demands translation, trust, and understanding across vastly different worlds within the same healthcare system.Key Points:01:22 The Role of a Chief Financial Informatics Officer05:49 Innovative Solutions for Revenue Cycle Issues13:22 Debriefing in Clinical Settings25:17 Navigating Patient Information Challenges31:25 Collaborating Across Departments39:41 Hiring for Chief Financial Informatics OfficerX: This Week HealthLinkedIn: This Week HealthDonate: Alex’s Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer