DaLesa Castillo
Chicago,IL
Summary
Strategic revenue cycle leader with 18 years of experience driving operational excellence and financial performance across multi-specialty healthcare systems. Expert in aligning people, processes, and technology to optimize the lifecycle. Proven track record in managing $60M+ portfolios, leading global cross functional teams, and achieving 100% regulatory compliance. Skilled in aligning people, processes, and technology to achieve continuous improvement in operational processes.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
REVENUE CYCLE OPERATIONS MANAGER
Conifer Healthcare Solutions
Chicago, IL
04.2023 - Current
- Collaborate with state agencies, managed care organizations, and internal stakeholders to streamline workflows, eliminate process bottlenecks, and enhance end to end revenue cycle performance.
- Oversee quarterly Medicaid credit audits to ensure the accuracy of refunds and adherence to both state and federal requirements, consistently achieving exceptional audit outcomes.
- Direct offshore operations in the Philippines and India, maintaining strong cross cultural relationships through targeted training, coaching, and performance governance to uphold Conifer’s quality and productivity standards.
- Developed and monitored enterprise-wide performance metrics across clinical and nonclinical operations to drive accountability and operational excellence
- Champion process improvement initiatives that have enhanced operational efficiency by 15%, optimized resource allocation, and fostered a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.
- Partner cross functionally with Patient Access, IT, HR, and Revenue Integrity teams to align operational strategies, strengthen data accuracy, improve billing transparency, and drive enterprise wide performance outcomes.
- Stay abreast of industry changes impacting functional area and Revenue Cycle and identifies potential impact and required changes. Strives to promote best practices within functional area and within Revenue Cycle.
- Direct enterprise timekeeping, payroll, FMLA, ADA, and human resources functions, driving performance management, leadership coaching, and workforce retention strategies
SENIOR REVENUE RECOVERY PROJECT MANAGER- GOVERNMENT HEALTHCARE
Conduent
Chicago, IL
01.2022 - 04.2023
- Audited provider billing and patient accounting practices to research client policy and data, revealing new overpayment recovery opportunities by 62%.
- Ensured goals in revenue, including collection and denial rates, are kept below 8% by creating and implementing strategies for scalable revenue recovery to maximize efficient billing.
- Implemented strategic direction of healthcare clientele reimbursement to maintain accountability and identify areas of continuous improvement by 74%.
- Restructured development and implementation of new audit/review methodologies for identifying healthcare overpayments and underpayments to providers and detecting healthcare fraud, waste, and abuse.
- Assisted in strategy development across functional departments to meet or exceed revenue projections, account receivable while accurately and efficiently addressing and limiting denials and write offs.
- Coordinated closely with physician leadership to maintain accountability with financial needs and healthcare billing to establish, continuously evaluate, and improve workflows within billing and collections.
FINANCIAL SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE
Rush University Medical Center
Chicago, IL
02.2020 - 12.2021
- Tracked AR productivity, charges, payments, bad debt, adjustments on a daily, weekly and/or monthly basis as needed to ensure the client and company expectations are met.
- Reviewed, designed, and implemented processes surrounding billing, third party payer relationships, collections, and patient access to reduce time spent on manual tasks and improve quality of services.
- Leveraged multiple resources, including Illinois State Information Software & Case Docket, to review Workers’ Compensation, litigation cases, exceeding expectations set previously by 58%.
- Developed analysis/tools to track and understand the underlying drivers' financial performance, increasing revenue by 25% and reducing unnecessary costs by 32%.
- Monitored effectiveness of collection efforts and insured insurance billings were current within the established time frame specified per policy.
- Accountable for key revenue cycle outcomes (insurance verification, authorization denial rate, surgical implant invoices and transplant contracts).
CLINICAL RESEARCH REIMBURSEMENT ANALYST
University of Missouri Health Care & University Physicians
Columbia, MO
04.2018 - 02.2020
- Utilized a centralized IRB review process for trials, saving time and expenditures, reducing further delays in enrollment, and decreasing the workload and financial burden.
- Performed state and federal regulations compliance audits related to documentation and reporting.
- Developed a tracking system that decreased errors within regulatory compliance regarding research billing/agreements and validated completed information and guaranteed 100% accuracy of coding and billing of services and time frames for each enrollee in the trials.
- Restructured organizational workflow process, which resulted in a 20% decrease in errors yearly, and built a billing matrix based on department priority.
- Partnered with research teams, study Principal Investigators, Co-investigators, Study Coordinators, and sponsoring agents, resulting in 100% research practice compliance with Federal and state guidelines.
- Analyzed research accounts audit to guarantee 100% billing compliance per study documents and coverage analysis.
REVENUE CYCLE SUPERVISOR
University of Missouri Health Care & University Physicians
Columbia, MO
10.2017 - 02.2020
- Managed nine projects and completed six of them before deadlines, resulting in a 45% increase in revenue.
- Lead and managed staff performance and facilitated appropriate staff training, feedback, performance reviews for resources.
- Streamlined internal processes by implementing policies and regulations that served as a guide in decision making to manage AR >90, to review root cause issues.
- Onboarded employees and retained 90% of the workforce by facilitating regular training and implementing programs and initiatives.
- Coached staff on health care operations, specifically front, middle, and back end Revenue Cycle processes.
- Oversaw a team of workers compensations claims, managing a portfolio of 400+ open workers compensation claims bringing in $20K revenue weekly.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS ANALYST
University of Missouri Health Care
Columbia, MO
07.2012 - 10.2017
- Collaborated with multiple personnel to oversee 350 cases, including suicide, missing person, code black, and guaranteed effective resolution through increased employee productivity and work efficiency.
- Devised an alternative phone system for emergencies vs incoming calls, resulting in a 63% reduction in complaints, abandonment rates, and high call volumes.
- Executed and implemented initiatives to maximize the level of preparedness and emergency responses.
- Implemented and executed emergency procedures for the University and prepared budgets and spending plans for all emergency preparedness and safety.
- Kept informed of activities or changes that could affect likelihood of emergencies, factors that could affect response efforts and details of plan implementation.
- Maintained current understanding of local, state, and federal guidelines for emergency response. Maximized throughput, patient satisfaction and staff efficiency by development and implementing optimized care models.
Education
Doctoral - Healthcare Management
Colorado Technical University
Colorado Springs, CO04-2028
Skills
- Change Management
- Training Facilitation
- Revenue Cycle Management
- Employee Relations
- Healthcare Operations Management
- Negotiations
- Structured Thinking
- System Implementation
- Process Improvement
- Requirements Documentation
- Client Management
- Risk Management
Certification
- Certified Revenue Cycle Representative, HMFA, 01/2025
- Healthcare Law, University of Pennsylvania, 07/2022
- Financial Analyst, Udemy, 06/2022
- Six Sigma Green Belt, Management & Strategy Institute, 06/2021
- Executive Management, Management & Strategy Institute, 06/2021
- Project Management- Lean Process, Management & Strategy Institute, 06/2021
- Inclusive & Ethical Leadership, University of South Florida Muma College of Business, 03/2021
Timeline
REVENUE CYCLE OPERATIONS MANAGER
Conifer Healthcare Solutions
04.2023 - Current
SENIOR REVENUE RECOVERY PROJECT MANAGER- GOVERNMENT HEALTHCARE
Conduent
01.2022 - 04.2023
FINANCIAL SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE
Rush University Medical Center
02.2020 - 12.2021
CLINICAL RESEARCH REIMBURSEMENT ANALYST
University of Missouri Health Care & University Physicians
04.2018 - 02.2020
REVENUE CYCLE SUPERVISOR
University of Missouri Health Care & University Physicians
10.2017 - 02.2020
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS ANALYST
University of Missouri Health Care
07.2012 - 10.2017
Doctoral - Healthcare Management
Colorado Technical University