Unio Health Partners Launched Enterprise-Grade Patient Billing in Under 12 Weeks

A Growing Organization Focused on Excellence

Unio Health Partners has rapidly expanded its multispecialty footprint across California, nearly tripling its provider base since 2021. With growth comes increasing complexity—and Unio has consistently taken a proactive, disciplined approach to upgrading systems that impact patient experience and operational performance.

While athenaCollector and athenaCommunicator provided a solid foundation, Unio’s leadership identified opportunities to further modernize the patient financial journey and reduce manual intervention. Rather than dedicating internal resources to build out new capabilities over time, Unio made a strategic choice: leverage Cedar’s proven technology to accelerate progress.

“Our vision has always been to deliver a unified, intuitive billing experience for patients,” says Lawanna Johnson, Director of Revenue Cycle. “Cedar represented the fastest and most reliable way to achieve that.”

A Strategic Decision Backed by Experience

Unlike typical vendor evaluations with long RFP cycles, Unio’s leadership quickly aligned around Cedar. CEO Michael Osmundson, MD, had previously partnered with Cedar and saw firsthand the measurable impact on patient engagement and collections.

“I’ve seen what happens when you get the patient financial experience right,” says Dr. Osmundson. “When I saw similar opportunities at Unio—confusion around statements, unnecessary manual work, and friction in digital touchpoints—I knew Cedar’s platform could accelerate our transformation.”

This was not a rescue mission; it was a strategic move by a capable leadership team choosing a partner that could complement existing strengths and deliver results faster than building internally.

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An Implementation Marked by Precision and Momentum

Cedar’s battle-tested integration with athenaOne allowed Unio to maintain operational continuity while upgrading the experience. Instead of heavy lifts or complex workarounds, the transition centered on well-defined steps, clear communication, and joint execution.

“The implementation didn’t feel like a chore at all. Cedar had everything prepared and anticipated what we’d need,” Johnson notes. “Their familiarity with athenaOne meant we could move quickly without disrupting our team.”

With native API connections, consolidated workflows, and streamlined requirements, Cedar enabled a full rollout in just 11.5 weeks. By go-live, Unio’s billing staff felt confident, supported, and ready.

“Patient billing is now something I don’t worry about on a daily basis. That’s how I know it’s working,” Johnson adds.

Clear Performance Lift Across Divisions

Unio initially deployed Cedar within its gastroenterology division, creating a natural comparison point across the broader organization. The difference was immediate and measurable.

• Significantly fewer inbound billing calls
• Clear, consolidated statements that reduced patient confusion
• Automated phone payments that eliminated wait times
• Self-pay aging meaningfully lower than other divisions

“Our GI division’s self-pay aging is definitely lower than other divisions. Cedar clearly performs better on post-visit collections,” shares Sheila Hankins, Vice President of Revenue Cycle.

Patients validated the shift, frequently citing the platform’s clarity and ease of use. Many preferred the self-service options that empowered them to resolve balances without staff intervention.

A Partnership Built on Capability, Not Dependence

Early skepticism from staff—common in any operational change—quickly dissolved once they experienced Cedar’s interface and workflows.

“I was initially part of the ‘why change?’ group,” Johnson admits. “But now I can see everything at a glance. It simply makes my job easier.”

The transformation enabled by Cedar was less about Unio compensating for internal gaps and more about a forward-looking leadership team choosing a partner that matched their ambition to deliver a consumer-grade financial experience.

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