Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Driving Performance and Innovation in Healthcare Finance with Jason Hinkle
Mar 30, 2026
Jason Hinkle, CFO of Deaconess Illinois overseeing finance for four hospitals, shares his path from accounting to health system leadership. He discusses empowering frontline leaders to find savings. He talks about partnering finance with clinical teams, using tools and accountability. He looks ahead to tech like AI and robotics and the growing role of prevention in healthcare.
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Unconventional Path To Provider Finance
- Jason Hinkle moved from EY to the rental car industry then back to healthcare to find purpose in provider finance.
- He now leads finance for four hospitals at Deaconess Illinois after roles at Christ Medical Center and Loyola Medicine, showing a nontraditional path into healthcare CFO work.
Make Frontline Leaders Own Margin Improvement
- Challenge frontline leaders to identify efficiency and margin improvement opportunities and track them system-wide.
- Deaconess requires leaders to log initiatives on a tracker and fold those into the budget cycle to convert ideas into measurable savings.
Give Leaders Skin In The Game With Compensation
- Tie part of frontline leaders' compensation to their department performance to create personal incentives.
- Deaconess implemented pay-for-performance so leaders feel a direct financial impact when their area meets or misses budget.