St. Luke’s Cancer Institute improved oncology authorization by bringing clinical expertise directly into revenue cycle workflows. This collaboration helped reduce treatment delays, cut authorization turnaround time by more than 50%, decreased provider clarification requests by over 60%, and prevented nearly $100,000 in avoidable write-offs.
2026 ACCC Innovator Award Winner St. Luke's Cancer Institute noticed a significant administrative burden being placed on providers to review medical necessity validation for complex oncology therapies. To address the resulting rise in peer-to-peer requirements, delays in care, and pre-service denials, the team designed and implemented a new Clinical Documentation Integrity Registered Nurse role.
In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with 2026 ACCC Innovator Award winner Lacy Sheets, MBA, Director of Patient Financial Navigation at St. Luke’s Cancer Institute, about her program’s development and implementation of a Clinical Documentation Integrity Registered Nurse role. Embedded within revenue cycle operations, this role partners directly with physicians, financial navigators, pharmacists, and others to ensure medical necessity documentation is accurate and compliant with payer requirements.