Her Story
About Caterina
Caterina Whitus serves as Director of Revenue Cycle Applications in the PDS Department at Valley Wise Health in Phoenix, Arizona. She began her healthcare career in 2004 after early exposure through her mother, who worked in healthcare leadership. Whitus earned an Associate's Degree from Phoenix College and a Bachelor's Degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of Phoenix. She is a Registered Health Information Technician with certifications in Healthcare Compliance and Healthcare Privacy and Security. Her professional path moved from operational roles in health information management and compliance to technical leadership four years ago, where she now supports teams handling provider documentation, coding, billing, and revenue cycle workflows through the electronic medical record. Whitus is a member of the American Health Information Management Association, its Arizona chapter, and HFMA. Outside of work, she volunteers as a cheer coach for girls in grades 5 through 8 at a local school, which she has done for three years. She credits her success to mentors such as her mother Apollonia Siana, Bill Hoffman, and Stephanie Hines, and values integrity and open communication in both her professional and personal life.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Caterina
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to really good mentors. Early in my career it was my mom, and later leaders like our CIO, Bill Hoffman and Stephanie Hines who have helped me step outside my comfort zone and grow as a leader.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
If you're doing it for the money, don't. Get the experience, ask questions, don't be afraid to think outside the box. If you gain the experience, the money will come. Focus on learning what you can and gaining the experience necessary to shape who you are as a leader, and the rest will fall into place.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is cybersecurity and integration. Technology is changing at such a rapid pace that organizations may not have resources to keep up. It's both a risk and an opportunity - you have to embrace it or get left behind, constantly improving environments while protecting them.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Having integrity is super important because that builds trust. Being an open, transparent communicator leads to building trust. These values apply both at work and at home with my children, teaching life lessons and professional lessons.
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