How Union General Health System Scaled 3x Without Compromising Financial Control
Results at-a-glance
- 3x organizational growth while maintaining efficient finance operations
- 25–30% AP efficiency gains with automation and virtual card rebates
- 5+ years of clean audits with zero financial adjustments
- Full intercompany and multi-entity support, including hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes
- Real-time, department-level visibility into spend and approvals
Boosting financial efficiency while expanding care
When Nick Townsend joined Union General Health System as CFO, the organization was already financially sound — but maintaining that strength while tripling in size was another matter entirely.
Today, Union General is a $180M rural health system made up of two hospitals (one PPS and one critical access), two hospital-based nursing homes, 13 ambulatory clinics, and a network of specialties acquired and grown over time. That’s a lot to manage for any CFO —especially in a rural setting where resources are tight, talent is hard to come by, and complexity is high.
“Healthcare is probably the most complex industry there is,” said Townsend. “You’ve got patients, physicians, staff, EMRs, regulations, and insurance companies — layer on accounting and it gets even more challenging.”
Leaving silos behind:
Why Union General switched to Multiview
Before implementing Multiview, Union General used McKesson’s Paragon system — a solution that wasn’t meeting the growing needs of the organization.
“The reporting capabilities were limited, and we had to pull data from multiple places to get a complete picture,” said Townsend. “We knew there was room for improvement.”
Their turning point came during their transition to Cerner (now Oracle Health). Cerner’s integration partnership with Multiview opened the door to a modern, healthcare-focused ERP that could finally connect the dots across systems. After vetting other vendors, Multiview stood out for its seamless data flow, deep EMR integration, and strong price-to-value ratio.
“It checked all the boxes for a rural facility — and then some.”
One system, multiple entities, no hassle:
Managing intercompany transactions with ease
With multiple tax IDs and service lines, Union General needed a system that could simplify intercompany transactions—something their previous ERP couldn’t handle. “It was horrible,” Townsend admitted. “Now, with Multiview, it’s seamless.”
Templates, saved views, and standardized processes have also allowed the finance team to reduce repetitive work and scale consistently. “Whether it’s a new clinic or a new company, adding it to Multiview has been easy.”
“We’ve been able to reduce AP workload by 25–30% even as we’ve scaled, which has improved overall efficiency."
AP that works smarter:
Automation, virtual cards, and 30% staffing efficiency gains
In the last year, Union General implemented Multiview’s Intelligent Capture and integrated a virtual card payment solution with JP Morgan. Together, these innovations are paying off— literally.
With Intelligent Capture, invoices sent via email are automatically scanned, data-extracted, and entered, minimizing manual keying and increasing accuracy. Combined with the virtual card setup, the hospital now processes vendor payments electronically, with up to 30 days of float and cash-back rebates that turn Accounts Payable into a revenue stream.
“We’ve been able to reduce AP workload by 25–30% even as we’ve scaled, which has improved overall efficiency,” said Townsend. “At the same time, invoice processing is more timely and accurate thanks to automation.”
Department-level accountability: Configurable invoice approval workflows
Multiview’s flexible, role-based invoice approvals allow department managers to review and approve their own spend, improving ownership and visibility.
“Our teams are empowered to see and approve every invoice that impacts their budget,” said Townsend. “That visibility helps them stay accountable and gives finance the oversight we need.”
From department managers to the CEO, everyone knows where invoices stand.
Inventory Management That Just Works
Townsend says he hears nothing but good things from Union General’s materials management team. With Multiview’s integrated materials management capabilities, they’ve been able to simplify key processes like purchasing, receiving, and inventory control. The result is better oversight, less manual work, and a more efficient approach to managing supplies across departments.
“Our materials team now has a system that supports how they work,” said Townsend. “They can see what’s on hand and what’s been ordered, which helps avoid overstocking or scrambling at the last minute. It’s taken a lot of the guesswork out of the process.”
Audit-proof accuracy:
Zero year-end adjustments, five years in a row
With streamlined processes, stronger controls, and centralized data, Townsend’s team has maintained a high bar for month-end accuracy, even as the organization scaled rapidly.
In fact, for five consecutive financial audits, Union General has had zero material adjustments.
“That’s not normal,” Townsend said. “But we’ve built our process to get things right every month. By year-end, it’s just another close.”
That accuracy has also enabled faster, more confident decision-making at the executive level. “Good decisions come from good data. And Multiview helps us deliver that.”
“Our teams are empowered to see and approve every invoice that impacts their budget. That visibility helps them stay accountable and gives finance the oversight we need.”
Scaling without sacrificing control: The true test of ERP value
Despite tripling in size over nine years—including the addition of nursing homes, childcare services, and dialysis centers—Union General has continued to improve the speed and accuracy of its financial processes. “We’ve grown significantly, but we haven’t lost control. Our finance team is lean, our workflows are efficient, and we have the visibility we need to make informed decisions every step of the way.”
That’s the kind of operational maturity most rural providers only dream of—and Townsend credits the right tools, the right team, and the right discipline.
Advice to other rural CFOs? Don’t underestimate what’s possible.
“A lot of small hospitals don’t realize what they can do with Multiview,” Townsend said. “We’ve pushed it further than most, and we’re still finding new ways to drive value. For the price, the power, and the flexibility—it’s positioned really well for healthcare.”