Karen Flowers

Areas of expertise include revenue cycle operations, benchmarking, provider compensation, capital planning, budgeting, financial analysis, resource utilization, forecasting, federal programs, medical group funds flow, and financial management. Leads a team in the development and delivery of financial, clinical, and business analytical products and recommendations, including providing leadership during the financial planning and budgeting processes. Focus on synthesizing financial, clinical, and strategic data into packages to evaluate and develop business plans in current and emerging markets in support of the Vice President of Medical Group Finance and the Chief Operating Officer of the Valley Health Medical Group. Leads the team in building relationships with the operational teams throughout the medical group and ensuring the group serves as a trusted business partner. Leads and mentors team members to evaluate business models and performance and develop KPIs with a focus on both financial and clinical utilization metrics.

• Monitored budget and revenue trends, compiling reports for company leadership to inform decision-making.
• Reviewed documentation and identified financial discrepancies where applicable.
• Forecasted trends and recommended improvements based on financial risk analyses.
• Created organizational structures to improve accounting and finance functions.

Managed activities related to budget preparation and procurement for billions of federal funding appropriated by Congress during the legislation. Approved all contract
and non-contract requisitions in Oracles eProcurement modules. Formulated budget estimates and rates for single and multi-department programs and the personnel,
facilities, support items, and contracts required to administer the federal grants from the U.S. Dept. of Education. Reviewed legislation, guidance, and regulations both federal and state to align the budget with both federal and state initiatives. Supervised the preparation, maintenance, and management of an overall division or program budget. Requested budget changes, submit transfers, approve transactions, and requested payments in which all transactions are reviewed for compliance with state and federal statutes, policies, and procedures. Reviewed accounts on a routine basis to ensure proper recording of account expenses. Analyzed the agency's financial information (such as cash management, expenditures, and revenues), ensuring that the organization's financial operations do not exceed budget limits. Created and reviewed completed budgets for compliance with statutory regulations—designed and presented budget models, developed quarterly and annual financial reports and training, including department-level and division-level. Developed detailed strategy and supporting documentation. Devised effective budgeting policies and procedures and managed their implementation. Researched and developed budget recommendations and legislative changes on spending to optimize the resulting budget. Compared organizational preliminary financial results with the actual at the
end of each reporting period and analyzed the differences. Met budget submission deadlines, and present monthly and annual budget results to managers, directors,
board members, and deputies. Prepared forecasts about budget needs for future funding periods—directed and assigned work to subordinate supervisors and staff
based on priorities.

• Monitored and managed procurement budget to control costs.
• Prepared and presented reports to management on purchasing trends and cost savings to aid in decision making.
• Conducted spend analysis to identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Developed and implemented procurement policies and procedures to enhance compliance with company standards.

Monitored and provided financial analysis and assessment for billions of dollars in federal funds in the context of organizational analysis for single and multi-department
programs and the personnel, facilities, support items, and contracts required to administer the federal grants from the U.S. Dept. of Education. Approved all contract and non-contract requisitions in Oracles eProcurement modules. Created and managed million-dollar requisitions in PeopleSoft/Oracle eProcurement modules. Reviewed legislation, guidance, and regulations, both federal and state, to align the budget with federal and state initiatives. Created and reviewed completed budgets for compliance with statutory regulations—design and presented budget models, developed quarterly and annual financial reports. Served as a liaison between the finance and business office, program managers, directors, associate superintendent, and Deputy for federal programs. Organized and prepared budget reports and financial summaries. Monitored governmental program spending. Prepared annual expenditure and revenue forecasts; gathered, reviewed, and summarized the state education agency benchmarking and performance measurement information. Analyzed and maintained budgeting and accounting reports/requests to maintain expenditure controls. Developed budget-related initiatives, made/developed recommendations based on analysis and data aggregation. Consulted with management to ensure those budget adjustments were made in accordance with legislation and program changes; examined budgets for accuracy and conformance with procedures and regulations. Reviewed and tracked expenditures and created draw-down reports that confirmed investigative findings.

• Reviewed monthly operations to assess compliance with budgets and determine necessary adjustments for future plans.
• Checked key performance indicator reports for accuracy and completeness.
• Monitored and reported budgetary discrepancies to corporate senior management to maximize reporting efficiency and finalized spending plans.
• Evaluated procurement needs and projected expenditures.
• Implemented budgetary monitoring techniques to improve corporate spending habits.
• Generated annual budget forecasting information for executive and corporate reports.

Developed, prepared, analyzed, and revised budgets and supporting schedules for assigned organizations or program areas to include Federal Programs (Title I, Part A-Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged, Title I, Part A- Family School Partnership, Title I, Part A- Foster Care Provisions, Title I, Part C Education of Migratory Children, Title I, Part D- Neglected and Delinquent Children, Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Title V, Part B- Rural Education Initiative and Title IX, Part A- McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth, Title III, Part A: Language Instruction for English Learners and Immigrant Students, Title IV, Part A- Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE), and Special Education Services and Supports). Approved all contract and non-contract requisitions in Oracles eProcurement modules. Created and managed million-dollar requisitions in PeopleSoft/Oracle eProcurement modules. In addition, performed review and analysis of budget program and policy issues, analyzed financial trends or proposed legislation, and recommended appropriate management courses of action: performed expenditure analyses and prepared budget-related financial summaries and recommendations for management review.

• Monitored and reported budgetary discrepancies to corporate senior management to maximize reporting efficiency and finalized spending plans.
• Reviewed monthly operations to assess compliance with budgets and determine necessary adjustments for future plans.
• Recommended financial solutions to corporate management based on detailed financial analysis.
• Compiled statistical data after each month-end closing.
• Implemented budgetary monitoring techniques to improve corporate spending habits.

Developed, prepared, analyzed, and revised budgets and supporting schedules for assigned organizations or program areas to include Federal Programs (Title I, Part A-Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged, Title I, Part A- Family School Partnership, Title I, Part A- Foster Care Provisions, Title I, Part C Education of Migratory Children, Title I, Part D- Neglected and Delinquent Children, Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Title V, Part B- Rural Education Initiative and Title IX, Part A- McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth). Approved all contract and non-contract requisitions in Oracles eProcurement modules. Created and managed million-dollar requisitions in PeopleSoft/Oracle eProcurement modules. Performed review and analysis of budget program and policy issues, analyzed financial trends, or proposed legislation, and recommended appropriate management courses of action: performed expenditure analyses and prepared budget-related financial summaries and recommendations for management review.

• Documented integration issues and vulnerabilities and outlined improvement recommendations.
• Assessed software bugs and compiled findings along with suggested resolutions for development team members.
• Participated in available trainings to improve software knowledge.
• Fixed identified issues to improve workflows.