Renee Zepp, CRCR

Renee Zepp, CRCR, is a healthcare executive with nearly two decades of experience helping healthcare organizations improve operational performance, build strategic partnerships, and drive sustainable growth. As Vice President of Channel Partnerships at Datavant, she leads partnership strategy for the company's Provider Commercial business, collaborating across product, finance, client impact, and commercial teams to expand the partner ecosystem and deliver meaningful value to healthcare organizations.

Her expertise spans healthcare operations, revenue cycle, health information management, interoperability, strategic partnerships, and go-to-market strategy. Known for connecting operational insight with business strategy, Renee has built her career on developing trusted relationships, identifying opportunities for growth, and helping organizations navigate an increasingly complex healthcare landscape.

Renee's healthcare journey began at just 16 years old as a medical records clerk, where she gained firsthand experience with the operational side of healthcare and developed a deep appreciation for the role health information plays in patient care. She advanced through leadership positions at Ciox Health before joining Datavant, where she has served in executive roles including Vice President of Strategic Account Management and Vice President of Channel Partnerships. Throughout her career, she has earned a reputation for building executive relationships, leading cross-functional initiatives, negotiating strategic partnerships, and helping organizations improve performance while delivering measurable business results.

Committed to lifelong learning, Renee returned to college as an adult learner, graduating summa cum laude from the University of Maine at Presque Isle with a Bachelor of Liberal Studies and minors in Business Administration and Business Management. She is currently pursuing her MBA and holds the Certified Revenue Cycle Representative (CRCR) credential through the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

Outside of her corporate leadership role, Renee is the founder of ClearSignalQ, a healthcare intelligence platform focused on helping organizations identify market opportunities, understand industry shifts, and make more informed commercial decisions. Through her writing and thought leadership, she shares practical insights on healthcare strategy, revenue cycle, interoperability, leadership, channel partnerships, and balancing an ambitious career with family life.

Renee credits much of her success to the people who have shaped her journey. Her late father, Louis, was her greatest role model and biggest believer. Though he was known for being strict, outspoken, and unapologetically Italian, he instilled in her the confidence and resilience that continue to guide her today. Long before she believed it herself, he reminded her that she was capable of achieving more than she imagined. His advice wasn't always what she wanted to hear, but it was exactly what she needed, and his unwavering belief in her laid the foundation for the leader she has become.

Her two sons inspire her every day to continue growing both personally and professionally. They motivate her to build a future filled with opportunities they may never have to question or go without. She also credits her husband for encouraging her to pursue ambitious goals, supporting her through the demands of executive leadership, entrepreneurship, and frequent travel while always believing in her ability to succeed.

Driven by curiosity, resilience, and a commitment to continuous improvement, Renee remains dedicated to helping healthcare organizations build stronger partnerships, solve complex operational challenges, and create lasting impact across the healthcare industry..

I remember complaining to my dad one day.

"I don't feel good enough. Everyone else seems smarter than me. They sound better than me. They know more than I do."

There was a long pause.

Then he laughed and said, "Renee... shine up that apple."

I knew exactly what he meant.

Keep learning.

Don't worry about who sounds the smartest in the room. Worry about becoming better than you were yesterday.

Read the book. Ask the questions. Learn the industry. Build your experience. Show up prepared. Confidence doesn't come from pretending to know everything. It comes from putting in the work over and over again.

My dad passed away almost three years ago, but I still hear those words whenever I start doubting myself.

"Shine up that apple, Renee."

To me, it meant don't wait until you feel qualified to start acting like the person you want to become. Invest in yourself. Polish your skills. Keep growing.

The people who continue learning will eventually pass the people who think they've already learned enough.

That's advice I'll carry with me for the rest of my life.

I didn't come from much. I'm a Philadelphia girl who grew up knowing that if I wanted something, I was going to have to work for it. I've never let someone else's opinion determine what I was capable of, and I don't think anyone else should either.

One piece of advice I give often is this: don't let anyone intimidate you into believing you're less capable because of where you came from, how you speak, what you look like, or the path you've taken. None of those things define your potential. What matters is your willingness to learn, work hard, and keep growing.

Too many people stay inside a box because someone else convinced them that's where they belong. Don't. Push yourself beyond the limits others place on you. The world doesn't hand out opportunities to the most polished person in the room. It rewards the people who show up, continue learning, and refuse to quit.

I've always believed that experience, curiosity, and determination can take you just as far as any title or degree. Education is important, but so is rolling up your sleeves, learning your industry, asking questions, and earning trust through your actions.

Believe in yourself before anyone else does. Keep developing your skills, stay humble enough to keep learning, and never let someone else's expectations become your ceiling. You are capable of far more than you realize.

One of the biggest opportunities in healthcare right now is that we're finally moving from simply collecting data to actually using it to make better decisions.

Healthcare has no shortage of information. We have mountains of data, but we still struggle to get the right insights to the right people at the right time. Whether it's improving revenue cycle performance, strengthening interoperability, identifying buying signals, or supporting better patient outcomes, the organizations that learn to turn information into action will have a significant advantage.

The biggest challenge is that healthcare is evolving faster than many organizations can adapt. AI, regulatory changes, workforce shortages, and financial pressures are forcing leaders to rethink how they operate while still delivering exceptional care.

I think the winners over the next five years won't necessarily be the organizations with the most data or the newest tools. They'll be the ones that build strong partnerships, stay curious, embrace change, and empower their people to make smarter decisions with the information they already have.

One of the biggest lessons I've learned is that mental resilience matters just as much as technical skills. Your mindset will carry you through challenges that experience alone can't solve.

I also don't believe great leaders have to know everything. Some of the smartest people I've worked with are the ones who recognize the strengths of others and know how to bring the right people together. There are experts in every field, and success comes from collaborating, asking questions, and trusting the people around you. You don't have to do it all yourself.

I've also learned the hard way that constantly saying "yes" and trying to carry everything on your shoulders eventually leads to burnout. I've been there. Over time, I've realized that taking care of yourself isn't a weakness, it's what allows you to continue showing up at your best for your team, your family, and yourself.

I also think work should be enjoyable. I love making people laugh, finding humor in stressful situations, and creating an environment where people enjoy working together. Healthcare is serious enough. A little laughter can go a long way.

Above all, I try to keep learning, take calculated risks, and become a little better than I was yesterday. That's the mindset that has helped me grow the most, and it's one I hope I never lose.