3 questions for … Gail Kosyla

Gail Kosyla is Yale New Haven Health System’s executive vice president and chief financial officer. She joined the health system in 2022.

You’ve worked at a number of hospitals and healthcare organizations throughout your career. What about healthcare finance keeps you interested in the field?

I have always enjoyed healthcare finance because it’s a complex field and there is always something new and exciting happening. Healthcare systems involve science, technology and people. The industry is highly regulated and the systems in which we operate are highly technical and often expensive. We always see amazing innovations at Yale New Haven Health in partnership with Yale School of Medicine. I work on teams both within our Finance division and with my operational and clinical colleagues in helping them to understand the financial implication of new services and innovations. Often, we collaborate with people outside our organization on contract negotiations, securing financing and building new business models to help drive efficiency and value. Most importantly, helping our organization maintain financial health is critically important to ensuring that we can continue to deliver on our mission in the future. I enjoy being a part of that!

What was your first job and how did it help prepare you for your career?

When I was in my early teens I became a candy striper at my local hospital. I had three roles: I filed X-rays in the Radiology Department (everything was on paper then). I also delivered flowers to patients and operated a gift cart with books, magazines and other items patients could buy. Patients and families were always happy to see the gift cart volunteer! My third role was staffing the hospital information desk. I loved the hospital atmosphere as it was very much a community. Most of my part-time jobs before I graduated from college had some type of customer service aspect, which I enjoyed. When I began my professional career in finance, I joined a public accounting firm and had a variety of clients in different industries, but my favorite was health care. Health care offered a connection to a higher purpose of helping people, especially those in need. When I left public accounting to join a healthcare client, I never imagined that I would find myself in such a diverse and fulfilling career.

What’s your favorite way to unwind on the weekends?

My husband and I have a blended family with six adult children, ages 22 to 30. They are our family/friends, and we love to spend time with them, going to the beach or making dinner together. We also enjoy walking our two dogs – a Lab mix and a Goldendoodle.