Kathleen Cahill

Associate Principal

Health Management Associates

Phoenix, AZ

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Kathleen Cahill is a solutions-driven C-Suite executive with more than 40 years of experience in healthcare operations, working for entities and organizations across the healthcare industry.

She offers demonstrated success in analyzing and implementing go-forward, market-specific strategies that align stakeholders and embrace industry disruptors. Her career focus is on improving the health and well-being of individuals, giving underserved populations a clear voice, and establishing community outreach programs concentrating on respect for all people.

Prior to joining Health Management Associates, Kathleen was a principal consultant with KC Consulting Group, where she worked with clients to achieve operational and financial success, drive impactful growth, and create an environment in which organizations achieve transformative results. In this role, she fostered an entrepreneurial clinical and transitional trials program targeting emerging markets and establishing long-term growth approaches resulting in over 20 percent revenue growth and over 40 percent new customer engagement. Kathleen restructured a revenue cycle management system, reducing denials by almost 70 percent; collaborated with foundations to identify and pursue alternative funding, advancing annual giving by over 20 percent; and executed a comprehensive grant strategy, earning almost $15 million in additional funding.

As executive director of ambulatory operations for the University of New Mexico (UNM) Health System, Kathleen was accountable for the organizations leadership, day-to-day operations, and performance. She also oversaw the critical areas of strategic planning, analytics, information technology, and quality and regulatory compliance for UNM Health System’s statewide ambulatory medical practices. Kathleen established acceptable, enforceable productivity standards for all providers, achieving an annual net gain of $900,000 over budget. She boosted employee engagement by 10 percent, expanded the provider base, developed four new primary care clinics, executed an enterprise-wide telehealth initiative, and guided a $48 million telemedicine request for proposal.

Previously, Kathleen was the regional operations officer with Community Health Systems, providing leadership for hospitals and their affiliated medical practices in New Mexico, Arizona and West Texas. She shaped the region’s strategic direction, controlled the budgets, heightened financial integrity, and ensured on-going accreditation. She also cultivated a reputation for quality, innovation, collaboration and clinical excellence. Her notable accomplishments in this role include pioneering and establishing a joint venture ambulatory surgery center with local physicians that generates over $25 million annually for a 280-bed regional medical center. She also generated just under 15 percent improvement in annual hospital revenues and advanced revenue margins by over 25 percent for two other regional centers with over 175 and 155 beds respectively.

Through these roles as well as her early career C-Suite experience, Kathleen has developed the ability to quickly assess organizations to identify relevant opportunities, patterns, and issues; implement creative solutions; achieve revenue goals; develop new business theories and frameworks; and achieve the highest levels of client services.

Kathleen earned her Master of Science in finance from the University of Houston and her Bachelor of Arts in business communications from New Mexico State University.

In her free time, Kathleen is a dedicated community activist, serving as a long-term volunteer and board member for a number of nonprofit organizations. When not volunteering, Kathleen enjoys being active outdoors and gardening.