GASTON Bushiri, CPA

Lead financial operations for a three-hospital portfolio within one of the nation’s premier academic health systems, including second flagship academic medical center operations. Direct financial strategy, budgeting, forecasting, performance management, accounting oversight, capital planning, and operational finance for 1,200 beds and $2B+ in annual revenue

Led corporate finance for OhioHealth Physician Group and special purpose entities, managing $1.2 billion in combined operating expenses. Served as Chief Financial Officer for OhioHealthy Medical Plan Inc., supervising $300 million in premium revenue across 43,000 members. Direct financial strategy, budgeting, forecasting, performance management, accounting oversight, capital planning, and operational finance for 600 beds and $900M+ in annual revenue

• Partnered with Clinical Enterprise and Medical Group leadership to execute a $70M+ multi-year productivity improvement and operating expense reduction initiatives that renewed focus on benchmarkable operations
• Played key role and partnered with Clinical Enterprise leadership to develop a $226M outpatient cancer center
• Played key role to a successful turnaround effort to improve Grant Medical Center operating expense pre-COVID 19 and during the first wave by 6%
• Partnered with care site leaders to renew focus and rigorous review of revenue cycle and operating expense management
• Played key role in developing Grant and Berger 2022-2026 strategic plans and Master Facility Plans
• Developed reporting frameworks to improve financial transparency and accountability.

Led finance and accounting staff, ensuring effective management and alignment. Oversaw general ledger accounting, payroll processing, accounts payable, and comprehensive financial reporting. Directed financial analysis and treasury management while maintaining internal controls.

• Renewed accounting, payroll, and accounts payable staff motivation, responsiveness, and quality of work within 90 days
• Established month-end close and accounting payable internal controls to improve the review and approval of journal entries, and check processing which improved the accuracy of financial reports within 60 days
• Lead successful month-end close (contractual packages, variance analysis, etc.)
• $660M hospital (330+ beds, 1200 + FTEs, & 350+ physicians)
• Collaborated with C-suite executives to craft hospital’s financial strategic plan and associated business strategies.

Charged with assisting CFO to develop the Health System's Financial Strategic Plan and applicable Business Plans; led all aspects of the Health System's Annual Operating and Capital Budgeting Plans as well as the Long-Range Financial Plan. Supervised accounting, patient accounting, Health Information Management, and Medical Group staff of 90+ employees.

• Provided leadership and strategic direction in managing the finance and accounting staff.
• Charged with coordinating general ledger accounting; financial reporting, accounts payable; payroll, budgeting, and forecasting; financial analysis; Decision Support; treasury; direct and indirect internal control; and management of audit.
• Established month-end close internal controls to improve the review and approval of journal entries, which resulted in 80% reduction of errors and unnecessary re-classes within 30 days
• Led successful month-end close (contractual packages, variance analysis, etc.)
• Led a successful and timely management of year-end audit of financial statements (hospital and employed physician group), which resulted in one immaterial ($8k) adjustment to the P&L
• Improved year-over-year primary care practices same store productivity by 10% or $230k, because of increased accountability and physician alignment
• Increased provider accountability and participation through monthly review of financial (charges/collections per RVU, DAR, Self-Pay greater than 90 days, and collected vs. collectable), and administrative (entry lag, denial rate, hold lag, productivity, payor mix, and E&M coding) KPI’s
• Renewed financial counseling, registration, scheduling, and insurance verification team motivation, responsiveness, and quality of work within 60 days, which increased upfront collections by 30% or $42k monthly, caught up charity backlog of $3.0M, improved patient registration wait time by 50% or from 30 to 15 minutes.
• $450M health system (two hospitals, 350+ beds, 800 + FTEs, & 150+ physicians)

Developed and maintained the Health System's Financial Strategic Plan and applicable Business Plans. Led all aspects of the Health System's Annual Operating and Capital Budgeting Plans as well as the Long-Range Financial Plan.

• Presented the Annual Operating and Capital Plan to senior leadership.
• Manage and direct a staff of financial analysts and management engineers.
• Renewed financial planning and analysis, and decision support team motivation, responsiveness, and quality of work to help a $21.0 million budget gap closure within 90 days
• Led the operating budget of a new 41-bed hospital (scheduled to open in first quarter of 2015)
• Developed a budget initiative tracking plan to reduce and monitor overtime usage across the entire health system which resulted in 22% or $3.1 million reduced overtime expense
• Implemented cost accounting system which provided service line profitability, cost behavior, and cost measurement analysis
• Developed and implemented new financial planning dashboards/models which provided visibility to savings initiatives tracking and improved financial reporting
• Charged with preparing pro forma for new physician practice acquisition and product development which improved return on investment
• Researched and provided direction for relevant GAAP issues/concepts by systematically browsing FASB codification content
• $2.6B health system (five hospitals, 750+ beds, 5,000 + FTEs, & 500+ physicians)

Provided leadership and strategic direction in managing the finance and accounting staff and coordinated annual operating budget; planning; general ledger accounting; financial reporting, accounts payable; budgeting and forecasting; financial analysis; treasury; direct and indirect internal control; and management of audit and tax relationships with a Big 4 Accounting Firm.

• Maintained a responsive, motivated, high-quality finance and accounting team with focus on leadership development and succession planning
• Led a successful and timely implementation of PeopleSoft ERP and BlackLine balance sheet reconciliation systems
• Led a successful and timely review and audit of financial statements, and tax return filing
• Successfully managed Sarbanes Oxley procedure control methods and documentation for outside medical cost accounting process
• Partnered with Executive Medical Director and Physicians Practice Board of Director to plan the region’s renewed integrated care strategic direction and the executive team that led the region through an improved members’ access to Kaiser Permanent of Georgia and The Southeast Permanente Medical Group coordinated care.
• As a result, year-over-year membership grew by 8%, reduced outside KP network physicians by 89%, average panel size in ambulatory medicine improved by 5%, and encounter visits within KP increased by 10%.
• Orchestrated a three-year financial statements review catch up within 90 days of employment. Efforts led to renewed relationship with independent auditor and timely review and tax return filing.
• $264 million medical group (390 Physicians, 117 Nurse Practitioners and Associate Physicians, and 180 Staff)