Get to know GLCCA board member Luke Check, vice president of operations for Americollect.
How did you get started in this industry?
I broke my ankle playing basketball my freshman year of college, so my summer job options were limited. My mom worked at Americollect for 44 years and got me a job there. I worked part-time most of college. When I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2007 with a degree in business administration and finance, I was offered a full-time position in sales at Americollect. I’ve been with the company for 15 years now.
Do you have a career highlight or achievement that you are most proud of?
When I served as the Western Michigan HFMA president, our board turned things around for a struggling chapter. For Americollect, I’m proud of leading our team through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. We came through in a very strong position.
Why did you want to get involved in GLCCA? What are your board responsibilities?
I’ve served a lot in state health care boards (the Healthcare Financial Management Association and American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management, for instance), and felt it was time to give back some of my time to my industry.
I’m a director on the GLCCA board and the Wisconsin legislative committee chair. We meet monthly. Much of the focus is discussion about increasing value to our members and providing high-quality education for our members.
What are your thoughts on the future of the collection industry?
As a 100% medical agency, the future of third-party medical collections looks more and more challenging with politicians, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and individual states putting us in their crosshairs. That said, our industry is a resilient one. Continued adoption of technology/automation and keeping our people happy is the recipe to continued success.