People: 4 HFMA members move into new CFO roles. Published March 31, 2026 9:42 am The first quarter of 2026 saw four HFMA members from various parts of the nation take on new CFO positions. CommonSpirit welcomes Michael Browning as CFO. On Jan. 2, Michael Browning, MBA, CPA, began his tenure as the new system senior executive vice president and CFO for Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health. Browning is charged with financial oversight over the health system's network of 138 hospitals and 2,200+ care locations across 24 states. In this role, he guides enterprise-wide financial planning and performance for the health system, overseeing accounting, treasury functions, reimbursement, revenue cycle operations, capital strategy and investor engagement. As part of his 30+ years of experience in healthcare finance, Browning has served as executive vice president and CFO at OhioHealth, having previously held senior leadership roles at several nonprofit health systems. He is a 22-year member of HFMA and a member of its Northwest Ohio Chapter. Shelly Schorer expands her role to regional CFO for CommonSpirit. CommonSpirit Health appointed Shelly Schorer, FHFMA, MBA, as regional CFO for its South region, beginning March 1. The appointment follows her service of almost nine years as CFO of CommonSpirit's California division. In her new role, her financial oversight will extend across markets in Arkansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee/North Georgia and Texas, encompassing the full spectrum of care. Schorer started her career in healthcare in 1998, and has held a number of other executive positions, including six years as Northern California division CFO for CommonSpirit Health and seven years as CFO for Mercy Health Joplin/Kansas. She has been an HFMA member since February 1999 and is currently a member of the Association's Northern California Chapter. Adam Smith moves into Mayo Clinic's Wisconsin CFO position. Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic Health System has appointed Adam Smith, MSHA, CFO for its Wisconsin operations. Smith, who began his new role in January, oversees financial strategy, planning and operational performance across the state for the health system. Smith previously served for seven years, first as executive director and then as vice president, finance, for Milwaukee-based Froedtert Health, and prior to that, he served in various financial and operational leadership positions at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He joined HFMA in August 2018 and is a member of the board of directors for HFMA's Wisconsin Chapter. Powell Valley Healthcare taps Lisa Wooten to serve as its CFO. On Feb. 20, Lisa Wooten, MBA, began serving as CFO for Powell Valley Healthcare in Powell, Wyoming. Wooten provides financial oversight of the multifacility organization serving Wyoming's Big Horn Basin, including a 25-bed hospital, a 100-bed long-term care facility and four medical office buildings. Wooten previously served for almost 11 years at Powell Valley Healthcare, first as director of materials and then as financial controller. Wooten joined HFMA in February 2025 as a member of the Wyoming Chapter. To have your professional announcement published in People, contact Eric C. Reese at [email protected]. Eric C. Reese, PhD is hfm managing editor, HFMA, Downers Grove, Ill. Related Tags Advertisements.

Humana and CommonSpirit secure new Medicare agreement. Overview of the agreement. Humana and CommonSpirit Health have finalized a national, three-year Medicare Advantage agreement that brings key markets back into network for Humana MA members. The deal covers services, facilities, and providers across the health system's multiple regions. CommonSpirit Health, headquartered in Chicago, announced the agreement on March 23, 2025, marking the end of nearly a year of negotiations. This agreement is significant because it takes a broad, unified approach. Rather than pursuing separate, market-by-market contracts, both organizations chose to negotiate a single, comprehensive arrangement covering all CommonSpirit markets nationwide. This strategy reflects a growing trend in payer-provider contracting, where health systems prefer consolidated deals over fragmented agreements. Why Colorado and Texas were left out. A split that began in 2025. CommonSpirit's Colorado and Texas markets parted ways with Humana's Medicare Advantage network at the start of 2025. The separation created gaps in coverage for Humana MA members who relied on CommonSpirit facilities in those states. However, the newly signed agreement restores in-network access for those patients. One contract for all markets. Instead of reopening separate negotiations for Colorado and Texas, CommonSpirit opted to include them in a wider, national deal with Humana. A spokesperson for the health system confirmed this approach. This method streamlines contracting and gives both parties more consistent terms across all regions. Additionally, it reduces the administrative burden of managing multiple, time-limited contracts that require frequent renewals. CommonSpirit's broader network footprint. 12 hospitals in Colorado alone. CommonSpirit operates 12 hospitals across Colorado, making it one of the state's most prominent health systems. Its presence in Texas is equally notable, rooted in the 2019 foundational merger between Englewood, Colorado-based Catholic Health Initiatives and San Francisco-based Dignity Health. That merger brought CHI's Houston-based St. Luke's Health Texas under the CommonSpirit umbrella as well. A 24-state healthcare presence. Today, CommonSpirit maintains a footprint across 24 states. Its scale makes it a critical partner for national payers like Humana, especially in markets where patients depend heavily on its hospitals and provider network. Consequently, agreements of this scope carry significant weight for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries nationwide. Why sustainable MA terms matter in 2025. Health systems and MA plans at a crossroads. The healthcare industry witnessed a notable trend in 2025: at least 40 health systems across the United States dropped agreements with Medicare Advantage plans. This wave of terminations reflected growing frustration among providers over reimbursement rates, prior authorization delays, and administrative costs tied to MA contracts. CommonSpirit's commitment to sustainable terms. Against this backdrop, CommonSpirit's decision to negotiate a multi-year national deal with Humana sends a clear signal. The health system stated its commitment to achieving "sustainable terms" with Medicare Advantage plans. Moreover, locking in a three-year agreement provides financial predictability for CommonSpirit and continuity of care for Humana members. What this means for Medicare Advantage members. Restored access to in-network providers. For Humana Medicare Advantage members in Colorado and Texas, this agreement directly restores access to CommonSpirit facilities and providers. Prior to the deal, patients faced the challenge of seeking care outside their usual network, often at higher out-of-pocket costs. Now, they can return to trusted providers without that financial burden. Uninterrupted care as the priority. Caraline Coats, Humana's Senior Vice President of Provider Strategy and Operations, emphasized member access as the core motivation. "Humana is committed to ensuring our members have uninterrupted access to the care and providers they rely on most," Coats said. This statement underscores the human impact of payer-provider contract disputes and the urgency of resolving them. Looking ahead: payer-provider collaboration. A model for future negotiations. The Humana-CommonSpirit deal could serve as a model for how large health systems and national payers can resolve network disputes. By choosing a long-term, nationally scoped agreement, both organizations have prioritized stability over short-term gains. Furthermore, this approach reduces the recurring disruption that patients experience when contracts lapse. Industry dialogue continues. Conversations around value-based care, regulatory changes, and cost management strategies remain central to the payer-provider relationship. At the upcoming Becker's 5th Annual Fall Payer Issues Roundtable, scheduled for November 17-19 in Chicago, industry leaders will gather to address these very challenges. The Humana-CommonSpirit agreement will likely be a reference point in those discussions, demonstrating what successful collaboration looks like in a difficult contracting environment.

Surgery Partners, Inc. names Lloyd Dean to Board of Directors. BRENTWOOD, Tenn., March 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Surgery Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ:SGRY) ("Surgery Partners" or the "Company") recently announced that Lloyd Dean has been appointed to serve as an independent director on its Board of Directors. Mr. Dean is the former Chief Executive Officer of CommonSpirit Health, one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the United States, with 142 hospitals, over 1,000 care sites, 25,000 physicians, and 150,000 employees across 21 states. From 2019 to 2022, he led the formation and integration of CommonSpirit, advancing clinical quality, operational performance, and community health initiatives at national scale. Prior to CommonSpirit, Mr. Dean served as President and CEO of Dignity Health, where he strengthened patient experience, expanded partnerships, and elevated the organization's leadership in delivering compassionate, high-quality care. A nationally recognized healthcare leader, Mr. Dean has long championed efforts to reduce health disparities, strengthen the health care workforce, and advance equitable access to care. He has served as an adviser to multiple Presidential Administrations on issues including the Affordable Care Act and COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Mr. Dean has also held several federal and state appointments focused on public health, economic development, and workforce planning. Mr. Dean serves on the boards of McDonald's Corporation - where he chairs the Board Human Resources & Compensation Committee - Guidehouse, Nox Health, and Progyny, and is a Senior Advisor to Bain Capital. He holds a B.S. in sociology and a master's degree in educational leadership from Western Michigan University, along with multiple honorary doctorates. "We are honored to welcome Lloyd to the Surgery Partners Board," said Blair Hendrix, Chairman of Surgery Partners' Board of Directors. "Lloyd is a nationally respected leader with deep experience advising health systems and shaping public policy. His insights will be invaluable as we continue to expand high-quality, cost-effective surgical care across the country." "I am excited to join the Board at a time of meaningful growth and opportunity for Surgery Partners," said Mr. Dean. "The Company is well positioned to continue leading the shift toward high-value outpatient surgical care, and I look forward to supporting its important mission." About Surgery Partners Headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee, Surgery Partners is a leading healthcare services company with a differentiated outpatient delivery model focused on providing high quality, cost effective solutions for surgical and related ancillary care in support of both patients and physicians. Founded in 2004, Surgery Partners is one of the largest and fastest growing surgical services businesses in the country, with more than 200 locations in 30 states, including ambulatory surgery centers, surgical hospitals, multi-specialty physician practices and urgent care facilities. For additional information, visit www.surgerypartners.com. Surgery Partners Investor Relations (615) 234-8940 [email protected]