Kathy Lanier • CFO | Vital Link EMS Inc. | Batesville
Kathy Lanier, who was raised in Batesville and earned her accounting degree from Arkansas State University, has been CFO of Vital Link EMS Inc. since 2000. Her greatest professional accomplishment is her role in developing Vital Link “into one of the premier ambulance services in the state of Arkansas.”
The “sense of service” is what’s different about being CFO of a nonprofit, Lanier said. “Every dollar earned by our organization is reinvested into our company, whether it be equipment, facilities or our most important asset, which is our employees. We are able to just focus on delivering high-quality emergency medical service.”
She is also proud that Vital Link, which employs 110, is accredited by the Commission of Accreditation of Ambulance Services.
Lanier said that because the cost of providing ambulance service in rural Arkansas is higher than the reimbursement Vital Link receives, the company has had to develop other revenue streams. To that end, it has diversified into vehicle repair, providing repairs for both emergency and nonemergency vehicles, a business that has grown “exponentially over the last 10 years.”
Vital Link has seen average annual revenue growth of 6.1 percent in the last three years.
Lanier also oversees human resource functions at the company, and providing health insurance to employees can be challenging. About six years ago, Vital Link joined a group of other EMS professionals to become partially self-insured. Through an aggressive wellness program and careful claims management, Lanier said, after six years in the program, Vital Link experienced a decrease in premiums. “There’s nothing better than seeing a dream become a reality,” she said.
Her management philosophy is simple: “Treat my employees with kindness and respect.”
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