Cedar's 2025 PFX Awards Honor Changemakers Transforming the Patient Financial Experience

The Patient Financial Experience (PFX) Awards are the only awards that celebrate those on the front lines of patient finance, honoring the top 20 visionaries making healthcare more accessible and affordable

NEW YORK, Sept. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cedar, the leading healthcare financial experience platform, today announced the winners of its second annual PFX Awards. At a time when patients face mounting uncertainty around the cost of care and coverage, these awards recognize the changemakers driving meaningful progress in the patient financial experience. From reimagining billing processes to bringing clarity and comfort during moments of financial stress, this year's honorees are ensuring patients can focus on healing, not paperwork.

"Medical bills are increasingly confusing, stressful, and unaffordable, but thanks to the empathy, knowledge, and persistence of countless individuals working behind the scenes, patients are able to access and afford the care they need," said Seth Cohen, President of Cedar. "In a year marked by sweeping changes to insurance eligibility and healthcare costs, their work has never been more critical. The PFX Awards are the only awards that honor those unsung heroes — whose dedication ensures a more seamless, supportive, and human healthcare experience — and we're proud to share their stories and impact."

The winners of this year's PFX Awards were recognized across three categories. The 20 honorees are the changemakers pushing their teams and organizations forward in improving the patient financial experience, often without fanfare.

The Builders: Creators who are designing or building consumer-focused technology that empowers patients to resolve their bills.
Samantha Bonds, US Anesthesia Partners
Eldon Fernandes, Academic Health System in Pennsylvania
Anna Harvey, Academic Health System in Pennsylvania
Shanna Wagner, Academic Health System in Pennsylvania
Marilyn West, Allina Health
Peggy Schaefer, CentraCare

The Connectors: Collaborators bringing teams, platforms, and initiatives together, leading to better financial outcomes for providers and patients.
Jen Jones, Providence
Leila Wiebesiek, Providence
Ashley Summerfield, Sonora Quest Laboratories
Martha Ouellette, Hartford HealthCare
Trena Staley, Novant Health
LaDonna Baszile Clark, Keck Medicine of USC
Donna Tilley, Covenant Health

The Dream Team: A cohesive group that collaborates effectively and supports one another to drive the financial experience in healthcare forward.
Chirag Shah & Amie Garisto, Talkiatry
Jane Mudd & Marti Klutho, St. Luke's Hospital
Virginia Burkett & Anthony Bustos, Covenant Health

This year's winners will be formally honored at Cedar's 2025 Financial Leadership Council in October. To learn more about the 2025 PFX Awards and read the profiles of the winners, please visit www.cedar.com/pfxawards-winners.

About Cedar

Cedar is the leading healthcare financial experience platform designed to simplify the growing complexity of healthcare payments for providers and their patients. Leveraging advanced AI, insights from a billion patient interactions, and a partnership model rooted in shared accountability, Cedar integrates real-time data from over 200 healthcare and financial partners into a unified platform. This streamlined approach reduces administrative burden, optimizes collections and reimbursement, and provides patients with a personalized, empathetic financial experience, enabling them to confidently manage their healthcare payments. To date, Cedar has supported over 50 million patients nationwide and processed more than $10 billion in payments. Learn more at www.cedar.com and join us on LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.

Contact

For Cedar
Kara Spak
[email protected]

SOURCE Cedar