Laboratories, pharmacies, radiology groups, and other ancillary service providers form a critical cornerstone of the healthcare ecosystem. They deliver essential services that directly impact patient health while driving efficiency and innovation in care delivery. Yet these providers face a perfect storm of pressures. Rising costs, increasingly complex reimbursement processes, and shifting regulatory requirements are squeezing margins even as providers strive to deliver high-quality, cost-effective care.
Helping providers meet these challenges is XiFin, a leader in revenue cycle management (RCM). With its industry-leading XiFin® Empower platform and solutions that are enhanced with embedded artificial intelligence (AI), XiFin improves financial performance and drives operational efficiency, enabling customers to focus on their mission of delivering quality care.
At the center of XiFin’s client service and success efforts is Chief Customer Officer (CCO) Lee Ann Nichols, an industry leader with more than 25 years of RCM and operations experience. Nichols and her team are dedicated to helping providers optimize their financial performance and stay ahead of an ever-changing landscape.
Can you share a bit about your professional journey and what led you to your current role as Chief Customer Officer at XiFin?
I’ve spent more than 25 years in revenue cycle management (RCM) and operations across the healthcare diagnostics and ancillary services sectors, holding leadership roles including COO at Watson Medical Laboratory, VP of RCM at Westcliff Medical Labs (now owned by LabCorp), and President and Chief Business Officer at West Pacific Medical Laboratory (also owned by LabCorp). I also previously served at XiFin in revenue cycle strategy/molecular diagnostics leadership positions.
When I returned to XiFin in 2014 as Chief Customer Officer, it felt like a natural fit. Having been in my customers’ shoes, I understand the pressures they face—shifting regulations, contracting margins, reimbursement challenges, and operational demands. That perspective fuels my passion for helping them succeed.
As CCO, I’m deeply involved in every stage of the customer experience—from implementation to ongoing optimization. I view our clients as partners, not just customers. Their challenges shape our innovation roadmap, and their success is our success. Whether advising on strategy, adapting to new regulatory demands, or advancing operational performance, I’m committed to delivering technology and expertise that empower sustainable success.
What would you say is the core mission driving XiFin’s growth, and how does the company differentiate itself in a competitive healthcare technology landscape?
XiFin is driven by a recognition of the complex challenges healthcare providers face in managing their revenue cycles, improving patient engagement, and ensuring regulatory compliance.
From its inception, XiFin has been ahead of the curve. Long before “cloud” became a standard term, XiFin pioneered the Software as a Service (SaaS) delivery model in healthcare RCM. That early vision created a scalable, flexible architecture that still underpins our platform today.
Our mission has always been to empower organizations to optimize operations in ways that enable them to deliver better care. What differentiates us is the combination of advanced technology, including embedded AI, deep healthcare expertise, and an unwavering focus on measurable results. Many vendors provide software; XiFin provides partnership, insight, and advocacy that enable sustainable growth.
With healthcare rapidly evolving, how is XiFin adapting its revenue cycle management strategies to align with emerging industry needs?
XiFin Empower transforms how diagnostic labs, pharmacies, hospitals, radiology practices, and health systems manage their financial operations. By automating complex workflows and embedding intelligence into daily processes, we help organizations improve their cash flow, enhance compliance with complex regulations, and increase operational efficiency, freeing them up to focus on patient care.
Looking ahead, XiFin is positioned to continue leading the industry into its next chapter, one that will be shaped by key trends such as the increasing adoption of AI and machine learning (ML), ongoing changes in consumer demand for healthcare (which is changing the payor, provider, and technology landscape), and the shift towards value-based care that fuels a need for sophisticated RCM solutions that can support these performance-based reimbursement models.
Our vision is to equip healthcare providers with the tools and insights they need to thrive in this evolving environment. Through a proven track record of continuous innovation, expertise, and advocacy, XiFin remains a reliable partner for healthcare providers.
Can you highlight a recent innovation or platform enhancement at XiFin that has significantly impacted client outcomes?
One of XiFin’s most impactful recent innovations is our AI-driven Exception Processing (EP) Workgroups, an enhancement that transforms how clients manage claim exceptions and optimize reimbursement. The concept originated with a customer whose billing team was losing time manually sorting claim exceptions, assigning tasks via spreadsheets, and coordinating follow-up across staff. Partnering with them as a beta site, we co-developed a smarter, automated solution.
Powered by XiFin® Empower AI, EP Workgroups automatically prioritize claims based on reimbursement likelihood, dollar value, and filing deadlines. Each claim is routed to the staff member with the best history of resolving that error type. The system generates step-by-step worklists, ensuring efficient resolution.
What once required manually developed reports and spreadsheets is now automatically AI-generated nightly. Customers using EP Workgroups report reduced manual effort, faster reimbursement, and a streamlined path to stronger cash flow. What was once a bottleneck is now a competitive advantage.
As Chief Customer Officer, how do you ensure that customer feedback drives strategic decisions and product evolution?
I believe a key responsibility for chief customer officers is ensuring customer voices directly shape our roadmap and product evolution. The most powerful ideas often come from those using our platform daily. The development of EP Workgroup functionality is a perfect example. By listening deeply, validating insights across multiple customers, and codeveloping solutions, we transform feedback into lasting value.
Part of my role is to champion those ideas, ensuring they move from conversation into implementation. At XiFin, customer collaboration is not an afterthought—it is central to how we innovate and deliver.
Could you share a success story or client example that illustrates the measurable impact of XiFin’s RCM solutions?
A long-time genetic testing laboratory illustrates the impact of XiFin Empower. Genetic testing providers face high denial rates, related to investigational or experimental classifications for certain tests or lengthy turnaround times associated with this type of testing that trigger timely filing denials. Inconsistent coverage policies compound the challenge. Using XiFin Empower’s rich analytics, this customer identified hidden payor behavior patterns and policy misclassifications that were impacting revenue. In fact, with XiFin’s support and reporting tools, this customer uncovered an underpayment of approximately $2 million—revenue that they were able to recoup immediately, while simultaneously addressing the root cause to prevent future issues.
Thanks to this proactive, data-informed approach, this customer saw:
- A substantial reduction in denials, with faster reimbursement cycles and improved cash flow.
- Improved audit readiness and payment integrity by catching underpayments early and resolving overpayments before they triggered compliance risks.
- Stronger payor relationships and market access outcomes, driven by evidence-backed policy advocacy.
How does XiFin approach partnerships, and what role do these alliances play in enhancing the value delivered to customers?
At XiFin, partnerships are more than business arrangements—they’re a strategic extension of our mission to simplify the complex business of healthcare and deliver measurable value to our customers. A core part of achieving this is interoperability—ensuring our solutions connect seamlessly with the systems and tools our customers rely on daily.
Through robust bidirectional APIs, XiFin® Empower RCM integrates with laboratory information systems (LIS), electronic health records, provider portals, payor systems, clearinghouses, and more. This enables revenue cycle tasks to occur upstream, reducing manual handoffs, speeding reimbursement, and improving both provider and patient experiences.
We also build alliances with best-in-class technology and service providers in areas like prior authorization, insurance discovery, and patient communications. These alliances create a connected ecosystem that bridges finance, IT, and clinical operations, amplifying the value customers derive from our platform.
What are the biggest challenges currently facing revenue cycle management, and how is XiFin addressing them?
One of the biggest challenges is resource pressure. Organizations are being asked to do more work with the same—or fewer—resources. Administrative demands grow even as budgets tighten.
XiFin addresses this by embedding more automation, analytics, and AI into our platform, reducing the burden on staff, and enabling them to focus on high-value tasks. From intelligent claim routing to predictive denials management, every enhancement is designed to extend the productivity of existing teams while improving outcomes.
What are your key priorities for 2026 and beyond? Are there any new markets or service areas XiFin is targeting?
XiFin’s priorities for the future focus on:
- Expanding AI capabilities to further optimize revenue cycle processes.
- Streamlining patient access, ensuring patients move through financial and clinical pathways seamlessly.
- Automating complex workflows that traditionally require heavy manual intervention.
- Delivering predictive business intelligence so clients can anticipate challenges and opportunities.
We’re also growing in areas such as pharmacy and ancillary services, where the need for advanced RCM is significant. Equally important is helping every customer fully realize the value of XiFin Empower by partnering closely, ensuring transparency, and uncovering new opportunities for improvement.
What advice would you offer to emerging leaders in the health tech and RCM sectors who aspire to drive meaningful change?
Stay curious, stay humble, and stay connected to the people doing the work.
The individuals on the front lines often understand inefficiencies and opportunities better than anyone else. Listening to them can reveal insights that spark breakthrough solutions.
Approach every challenge with an open mind and a willingness to learn. Surround yourself with a strong team and look for mentors who can offer guidance. Ask questions. Even when you think you know the answer. Thoughtful curiosity is a sign of engagement and leadership.
Finally, recognize that leadership roles are evolving. Success today requires broader strategies, deeper relationships, and a proactive mindset. For a Chief Customer Officer, that means being outward-facing, solution-oriented, and a true partner to clients. Keep that perspective, and you’ll not only drive meaningful change but also build a career defined by impact and purpose.
