Becker’s Healthcare Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Conversation with Eric J. Price, CFO at Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital
Date: January 16, 2026
Host: Will Riley (Becker’s Healthcare, sponsored by R1)
Guest: Eric J. Price, Chief Financial Officer, Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital

Episode Overview

This episode features Eric J. Price, CFO of Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital, a critical access facility in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Eric shares his perspective on leading financial strategy during a period of uncertainty, the role of new technologies (especially AI) in rural health operations, the challenges of payer relationships, and the hospital’s focus on meeting community needs. He emphasizes prudent innovation, partnership, and resilience as key to navigating economic, regulatory, and technological shifts in 2026.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital: Mission & Priorities

• Hospital Profile:

  • 12-bed critical access hospital serving ~12,000 patients
  • Robust specialty offerings: surgery, orthopedics, ENT, swing bed, home health, hospice, and rehab ([00:59])

• Eric’s Background:

  • Nearly 15 years in healthcare executive roles
  • Three years as CFO at Schoolcraft Memorial

• Priorities for 2026:

  • Navigating financial, economic, and political uncertainty
  • Stabilizing growth plans due to regulatory ambiguity
  • Emphasizing community needs and sustainable operations

“We’re just trying to create stability. Some of our growth plans we are putting on hold … until we know for sure how some of these federal regulations may play out.”
— Eric J. Price ([01:44])

2. Adoption & Caution with Healthcare Technology (AI Focus)

• AI in Imaging:
  • Recent investments in fluoroscopy and digital X-ray, both with embedded AI
  • Planned purchase of CT scanner held back to observe rapid AI advances ([02:56])
  • Current AI tools help with dose management and image quality

“Our current X-ray equipment does have AI technology to help with dosage, so we’re not overdosing or underdosing and it really helps with the imaging and the quality of the images we get.”
— Eric J. Price ([03:27])

• Cautious Approach:
  • Delayed adoption, especially for AI in administrative areas like coding and billing
  • Desire to see more real-world evidence, not just vendor claims

“We hear about the opportunities, but we’re not hearing much about the downsides. And that’s one thing we’re just being cautious about.”
— Eric J. Price ([04:40])

3. Technology Partnerships, Vendors, and Customization

• Partnership Strategy:
  • Preference for core EHR vendor functionality, but openness to smaller, more nimble vendors for specific solutions ([05:27])
  • Increased use of RFP processes; more precise scoping and expectations

“I think some of the larger EHR systems, they’re not as nimble as some of the smaller startups are and that’s something we look at and evaluate.”
— Eric J. Price ([06:09])

• Procurement Lessons:
  • More rigorous vendor selection after past disappointments
  • Focus on well-defined deliverables and specific community needs

4. The Human Side: Community Commitment & Labor Implications

• Community-Centric Care:
  • Serving friends and neighbors; small, tight-knit environment
  • Patient and staff well-being are interlinked

“In a small community like Schoolcraft… our patients are our family members.”
— Eric J. Price ([07:41])

• Labor & AI:
  • Mindful of AI’s impact on job roles, especially in union settings ([08:11])
  • Commitment to retraining and upskilling, not replacement

“We want to ensure that… as we navigate forward in the AI space that we’re very cognizant of the impact that may have on labor and how jobs may shift or evolve….”
— Eric J. Price ([08:19])

5. Financial Operations, Efficiency, and Data Analytics

• Claims & Coding:

  • Growing volume post-pandemic (30% increase) presents processing challenges
  • Looking to use AI to assist coders, aiming for more self-sufficiency, less third-party auditing ([09:15])

• Data Analytics:

  • Significant improvements in informatics team’s output thanks to advanced analytic tools ([10:35])
  • Focus on using data to improve forecasting and navigate uncertainty

“We’ve seen a lot of better data, more accurate data, more timely data coming out of the informatics team… I think we’re going to see our biggest opportunity in the next year would be data analytics, improving our predictability.”
— Eric J. Price ([10:44])

6. Payer Relationships & Regulatory Headwinds

• Payer Collaboration:

  • Efforts to streamline claims, reduce administrative overhead for both payer and provider ([11:25])
  • Quarterly meetings sought to improve transparency and efficiency

• Collaborative Spirit:

  • Moving away from blaming (noted with the “Spider-man meme”) ([12:38])
  • Collaboration with neighboring hospitals (no patient overlap due to geography), emphasizing “collaborate, not compete”

“We have a mantra that we collaborate, not compete because we’re so geographically distant from each other… collaborating, having conversations with payers, trying to reduce the inefficiencies in the system, that’s our main goal right now.”
— Eric J. Price ([13:08])

• Era of Disruption:
  • Transition from “transformational change” (ACA era) to “disruption”
  • Focused on building team resiliency

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On caution with AI:
  “We want to ensure that the AI systems are, I guess, more robust and have matured a bit.” ([04:18])
• On community focus:
  “Our patients are our family members. It’s somebody you know, you went to school with them.” ([07:38])
• On payer relations:
  “We need to start coming to the table instead of…. assigning blame… let’s come together and collaborate.” ([12:47])
• On era of disruption:
  “Now we’re kind of in an area of disruption. And I think building that resiliency in our team… as a leader, that’s what we’re trying to do, is just build resiliency in our community.” ([13:33])

Important Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------|------------| | Hospital & role intro | 00:59 | | AI in imaging & equipment | 02:56 | | AI risk, rewards, & adoption caution | 04:07 | | Vendor partnerships & procurement | 05:27 | | Community orientation & labor impact | 07:27 | | C-suite governance of new technology | 08:11 | | Data analytics, forecasting improvements | 10:35 | | Financial & regulatory environment | 11:04 | | Payer collaboration and strategy | 11:25-13:15| | Quote on disruption & resiliency | 13:33 |

Overall Tone

Eric’s tone is pragmatic, candid, and deeply community-oriented. He champions careful stewardship of new technologies, heartfelt commitment to staff and patients, and a collaborative, resilient mindset—reflecting the unique demands and strengths of rural healthcare leadership in uncertain times.