Balancing Growth and Financial Pressures in Healthcare with Jenni Alvey

In this episode of the Becker CFO Revenue Cycle Podcast, Madeline interviews Jenny Alvey, CFO of Indiana University Health (IU Health), about the financial challenges and strategic priorities facing healthcare systems today. Alvey discusses IU Health’s recent financial report, which showed a declining operating margin of 0.5% despite revenue growth, attributing the pressure to major one-time investments in Epic EHR implementation, a new downtown medical center, and the expansion of Fort Wayne Hospital—all part of a long-term vision to strengthen care access, affordability, and quality. She emphasizes the importance of a disciplined, 10-year rolling financial plan that aligns finance with clinical, operational, and strategic teams to prioritize investments and manage trade-offs. Alvey also highlights external pressures from government policy shifts, including Medicaid eligibility changes, work requirements, and evolving payer regulations, which create uncertainty and financial strain. She advocates for proactive planning, collaboration with peers, and diversifying revenue streams to build resilience. As healthcare CFOs navigate thin margins and rising costs, Alvey frames the CFO’s role as both a financial steward and an enterprise strategist, balancing short-term operational efficiency with long-term mission-driven reinvestment.