Cathy Dougherty is vice president of revenue-cycle management for Lawrenceville, Ga.-based Gwinnett Medical Center, a 553-bed, two-suburban hospital system. She pushes making billing and other hospital operations much more transparent for patients, believing that it’s not only the right thing to do but that it also increases patient loyalty to systems and improves institutions’ financial performance.

Becker’s Hospital Review distills her approach like this:

• “An estimation tool at the point of registration.
• “Patient (or consumer) education about insurance coverage.
• “Highly trained financial counselors who act as patient advocates.
• “Crystal-clear billing statements that patients can understand.
• “Multiple convenient payment options, including online bill pay and financing.
• “Direct access to payment services that bypass the usual customer service queue.”