Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Brenda Fernández, MBA, Chief Financial Officer, Puerto Rico ASC Holding
Dec 20, 2025
Brenda Fernández, Chief Financial Officer of Puerto Rico ASC Holding, brings her expertise in financial stewardship and operational efficiency to the forefront. She delves into strategies leveraging technology and AI to enhance ambulatory surgery centers. Brenda highlights the factors driving ASC growth, such as payer incentives and patient preferences. She also shares insights on joint ventures and the importance of financial literacy and disciplined cost management for sustaining innovation and collaboration in the healthcare landscape.
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CFO Role And ASC Portfolio
- Brenda Fernández oversees a portfolio of three ASCs in Puerto Rico including two ophthalmic and one multi-specialty with an outpatient total joint program.
- She focuses on financial stewardship, payer contracting, capital allocation and aligning spending with mission-driven care.
Why ASC Volume Is Shifting
- ASC growth is driven by payer incentives, patient preference and innovation that shift volume from hospitals to ASCs.
- This migration yields system cost savings while creating opportunity and pressure on margins for ASCs.
Prepare For Margin Pressure
- Build financial models around case mix and payer mix and strengthen revenue cycle performance to anticipate margin compression.
- Align capital investments in technology and infrastructure with volume-based ROI projections.