January always arrives with good intentions. Fresh budgets. New priorities. A quiet hope that this year, finally, things will feel more under control. But fast-forward a few months, and the calendar says April while your team is already chasing denials and reacting to issues that somehow feelโฆ familiar. Sound about right?
The truth is, most revenue cycle challenges donโt explode overnight. They build slowly, decision by decision, in those early weeks when everything feels manageable. In reality, the first 90 days matter more than most leaders realizeโand getting them right can change the rhythm of the entire year.
The Hidden Power of Early-Year RCM Decisions
On paper, Q1 looks like a planning phase. A time to assess, prioritize, and ease into execution. Yet this is when many of the yearโs biggest revenue cycle decisions quietly solidify.
Budgets get allocated. Staffing models are approved. Vendor contracts are signed. Technology roadmaps are set. And once those pieces are in motion, changing course midyear raises a whole host of issues. Not only is it inconvenient, but itโs also expensive and often politically fraught. No one wants to revisit decisions that already passed committee review.
What makes this tricky is that early-year choices rarely feel high-stakes in the moment. A short-term workaround here or delayed investment there just donโt feel very pressing in the first quarter. Why would they? You have the whole year to get things right. But those choices compound. They shape how work flows and how teams feel nine months down the road. But letโs not get ahead of ourselvesโฆ
By the time Q2 rolls around, the initial problems begin to surface. Instead of executing with intention and flexibility, the organization is now forced to respond within the constraints those early decisions created. Thatโs the hidden power of Q1. It sets the ceiling for everything that follows.
3 Early Decisions That Shape the Rest of the Year
While not all early year decisions carry the same weight, the following tend to matter most. Get them right, and the year builds momentum. Miss them, and even strong teams can find themselves reacting instead of leading.
1. Whether You Stay Reactive or Build Stability
Many revenue cycle teams start the year staring down backlogs, like aging AR and denials that piled up during the holidays. The compulsion to clear them is understandable: clean up the mess first, then think about prevention.
But focusing solely on โgetting throughโ the backlog can quietly lock teams into a reactive posture. The work gets done, but the underlying causes remain. Meanwhile, new backlogs form, and the year soon becomes a loop of catch-ups as fires keep popping up.
Early investment in automation, standardized workflows, and proactive monitoring changes that dynamic. It shifts the goal from survival to stability. Instead of asking, โHow do we process more?โ the question becomes, โHow do we stop the problems from showing up in the first place?โ
It might go against your instinct, but slowing down to build guardrails early often speeds everything up later. The difference is dramatic. One year feels like sprinting on a treadmill. The other feels paced, predictable, and visible. Same volume. Very different experience.
2. How You Address Staffing Constraints
Q1 has a way of exposing staffing gaps that never fully closed the year before. Vacancies linger. Burnout simmers. Productivity depends heavily on a few key people holding everything together.
The temptation is to lean on short-term fixesโlike overtime and manual workaroundsโuntil things stabilize. Sometimes thatโs unavoidable. But when stopgaps become the plan, the cost shows up later in turnover, errors, and inconsistent performance.
A more sustainable approach looks different. It can come in the form of technology that reduces manual touchpoints or outsourcing that absorbs volume without draining internal teams. The goal isnโt to replace people but to protect them. When staffing decisions in Q1 focus on sustainability instead of survival, teams stay steadier through the inevitable spikes later in the year.
3. Whether Technology Is Treated as a Patch or a Platform
And speaking of technology, decisions about it often happen reactively. Maybe a denial problem leads to the installation of a new tool or a reporting gap triggers the implementation of another system. Each solution makes sense on its own. But over time, the tech stack starts to look like a patchwork quilt.
Early alignment around integrated platforms changes the equation. Instead of asking, โWhat tool fixes this issue?โ the question becomes, โHow does this fit into the broader revenue cycle ecosystem?โ
Platforms that unify data, automate workflows, and provide end-to-end visibility create compounding benefits. These often show up as fewer status meetings and better insights that save time and drive productivity week after week. Fragmented fixes solve todayโs problem. Platforms shape how work gets done all year.
What a Strong First 90 Days Looks Like
A strong start doesnโt feel frantic. It feels intentional. Hereโs what that looks like:
- Alignment across people, process, and technology: Everyone understands what matters most and why.
- Progress built on sustainable fixes: Day-to-day work feels sustainable and steady, as short-term fixes give way to solutions that address root problems.
- Shared clarity on what โsuccessโ actually means: Operational teams and leadership are working from the same definition. Everyone is on the same page.
- Issues addressed with context, not panic: Decisions are guided by data and perspective rather than urgency alone.
Organizations that start the year this way not only perform better but operate with more clarity and resilience. And that tone, once set, tends to carry far beyond the first 90 days.
Set the Rhythm for the Year Ahead
By the time April arrives, itโs easy to feel like the year is already slipping into the familiar patterns of too much urgency and too many surprises. But it doesnโt have to play out that way.
When the first 90 days are handled with intention, the rest of the year feels different. The day starts with a clear sense of what matters, rather than a scramble to respond to overnight issues. Dashboards provide a coherent picture, and meetings shift from damage control to real decision-making.
Over time, the team spends less energy chasing yesterdayโs problems and more time improving how work actually gets done. This results not only in better cash flow but higher staff morale.
January through March is a time to build the foundation for the year ahead. Set it well, and the year unfolds with a calmer pace, clearer visibility, and far fewer moments where youโre simply reacting. Starting the year strong doesnโt happen by accident. It takes the right mix of strategy, execution, and support that extends beyond short-term fixes. Thatโs where GeBBS comes in. By combining deep revenue cycle expertise with integrated technology and scalable services, GeBBS helps healthcare organizations move from reactive problem-solving to steady, predictable performance. The focus isnโt just on solving todayโs issues, but on building a revenue cycle that holds up month after month. Ready to experience that for yourself? Contact us today to learn more.
