Holding considerable expertise in client services and operations in health care, Natasha Daniels began her professional path by earning a Bachelor of Science in business administration, with an emphasis in accounting and a minor in business law, from California Polytechnic State University in 1992. That same year, she joined the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services as a level one accountant, working her way up to accounting officer. In 2002, she joined USCB Inc. as the assistant vice president, rising to vice president of Northern California operations in 2006. In 2021, Ms. Daniels achieved the position of senior vice president of client services and operations, where her duties include overseeing client relations, onboarding new clients and monitoring their basic day-to-day operations along with overseeing the Northern California Branch operations to include insurance follow-up and customer service.
Attributing much of her success to her determination to succeed and her passion for mentorship, Ms. Daniels places strong emphasis on being fair and doing her utmost to help others find their own success. She is continually motivated by her desire to find a balance when it comes to payments and fees, because while doctors deserve to be paid for their work, medical emergencies can also be incredibly financially taxing, particularly if a person does not have savings to fall back on. Finding great joy in being able to service both the hospital and the patients, she considers her favorite aspect of her work to be the amount of collaboration that her job entails, noting that she works closely with every department within USCB.
Over the course of her nearly 30 years in the health care industry, Ms. Daniels has been exposed to a wide range of environments, people and circumstances. She has worked with many different components of the revenue cycle, managed staff that have ranged from 20 to more than 200+ people, and juggled a range of different workloads. All these experiences have contributed to her professional growth and allowed her to cultivate her skills in leadership, mentorship and team building, things which have led to her being more effective as a mentor to her employees. One of the most important things Ms. Daniels has learned over the years is how to be a good leader and manager while also holding her staff accountable.
Furthermore, Ms. Daniels notes that the continued growth and learning she experienced directly correlated to how her confidence grew in her positions and her work more generally. She would advise young and aspiring professionals to not be discouraged when they do not know things, because there are always opportunities to learn more and continue to educate oneself. Ms. Daniels also emphasizes the importance of believing in oneself and one’s abilities, as that belief, coupled with a professional skill set, will allow for success not only in work, but in one’s personal life as well.
While Ms. Daniels does see her retirement on the distant horizon, her current goals involve stabilizing her department and continuing her personal growth. USCB’s Client Services Department is a newer department, having notably been created just for Ms. Daniels and the skill set she provides to the company. Looking into the immediate future, she hopes to continue her rise within USCB as several members of their leadership team are looking at much more immediate retirements.
Having accomplished much over the years, Ms. Daniels considers the absolute highlight of her career to be having spent 20+ years with USCB and being in a series of positions that have allowed her to have a direct impact on people’s lives. To bolster her work, she maintains professional affiliation with the Healthcare Financial Management Association and ACA International to remain up to date with new developments in her field. Outside of her work, Ms. Daniels is the proud mother of two children: Ryan Chacon and Erik Chacon. In her spare time, she enjoys training and running marathons and ultramarathons, completing multiple 100-mile trail runs.
