William Burns

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Event

When he’s not serving as the CFO of Cross Country Healthcare, William Burns is an active philanthropist for local groups and fundraisers. A corporate participant of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS’) Light the Night event, William Burns supports the organization’s research into the causes of and cures for blood cancers.

Light the Night is an annual campaign that begins in mid to late September and lasts for about 100 nights. At over 140 locations across the United States and Canada, participants complete a walking route through the local community while carrying a lit, colored lantern. White lanterns signify survivors of blood cancer, supporters have red ones, and gold lanterns honor deceased loved ones. Teams of employees from small businesses or schools can pool their efforts to raise more money. Funds contribute to the LLS’ primary objectives: research, education, support, policy, and advocacy.

Individuals who can’t attend a Light the Night walk in person can donate by shopping at allied businesses or processing a donation through them. Firms from across diverse industries, with an emphasis on healthcare, hygiene, and pharmaceuticals, serve as sponsors, providing logistical and financial assistance so each walk proceeds smoothly.

A History of Major Winners at the Miami Open

William Burns is the executive vice president and chief financial officer of Cross Country Healthcare in Boca Raton, Florida. When he is not developing critical business strategies alongside the Cross Country Healthcare chief executive officer, William Burns enjoys staying active by playing tennis.

Tennis fans in Florida are fortunate to live near the Miami Open, one of the world’s biggest professional tennis tournaments outside of the four majors. In fact, the Miami Open has been regarded as “Winter Wimbledon” and “the fifth slam.” This reputation is not surprising when evaluating the long history of grand slam winners succeeding at the Miami Open on both the men and women’s tours.

The men’s tournament began in 1985 and was won by Tim Mayotte, a silver medalist at the 1988 Olympics. The following year the Miami Open trophy was lifted by eight-time major champion Ivan Lendl, who followed his Miami win with victories at the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Lendl would repeat as champion in 1989 and subsequent winners would include Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, and Andy Roddick.

In more recent years the event, like most tournaments, has been dominated by members of the Big Four. Roger Federer won three Miami titles between 2005 and 2017, while Andy Murray claimed titles in 2009 and 2013. Novak Djokovic has been extremely successful in Miami, winning a tournament-best six titles, most recently in 2016.

The women’s Miami Open event also began in 1985. Tennis legend Martina Navratilova defeated 18-time major winner Chris Evert in the first women’s final, followed by three consecutive meetings between Evert and Steffi Graf. Nearly three decades passed at the Miami Open before Agnieszka Radwanska defeated Maria Sharapova in the 2012 final, becoming the first non-major winner to become champion in Miami, a claim she still holds as of 2023.

Cancer, Clinical Trials and Insurance Coverage in the United States

William Burns is an accomplished senior executive who has held leadership roles with several New York-based organizations, including Coty, Adecco Inc., and Honeywell International Inc. Leveraging his leadership background, he serves as EVP and CFO of Cross Country Healthcare in Boca Raton, Florida. In 2019, William Burns served as the Corporate Walk Chair of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Boca Raton Light The Night, an event that seeks to fund cure research and provide access to treatments for patients with blood cancer.

The Affordable Care Act provides equitable access to insurance coverage. Thus, cancer patients receive protection against losing insurance coverage due to their health conditions. Cancer patients can keep their coverage and access essential health benefits, such as emergency care, hospital care, mental health services, prescribed drug coverage, and outpatient treatment.

In addition, the United States legislature recognizes the contributory role of clinical trials in cancer treatment. Therefore, people with cancer can apply to enroll in clinical trials to benefit from the positive health prospects of the studies. When a person’s request to join a clinical trial is approved, their insurance will cover their trial participation as per the Affordable Care Act.

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Light The Night Program

An executive with a career spanning over three decades, William Burns serves as the EVP and CFO of Cross Country Healthcare. He oversees several responsibilities, including finance and procurement and planning and analysis. William Burns has also served as the Corporate Walk Chair for the 2019 Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Light the Night Walk in Boca Raton.

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) launched the Light The Night program to spread hope. According to LLS, many people slump into a deep depression upon receiving a cancer diagnosis. Light The Night aims to dispel these dejections through social engagement. Participants connect with other people battling cancer and cancer survivors. Through their positive testimonies, cancer survivors are the voices of LLS in Light The Night and featured on LightTheNight.org.

Light The Night events take place in multiple locations and on different dates. Interested participants can look up their nearest event and scheduled date on Lightthenight.org/search-events?page=11. Donations from supporters fund Light The Night and its mission.

Mitigating Infection from Acute Myeloid Leukemia

A prominent figure in the Boca Raton, Florida entrepreneurial community, William Burns is the executive vice president and chief financial officer of Cross Country Healthcare, a market-leading provider of workforce solutions and healthcare staffing services. Dedicated to giving back to his community, William Burns serves as a member of the board of trustees for the Palm Beach chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS).

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) is a global nonprofit that focuses a significant portion of its operations on mitigating blood cancer (leukemia). One of the rarest cancers in the world is acute myeloid leukemia (AML). According to cancer.net, roughly 20,050 people will be diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2022. AML happens when the genetic information in some of the stem cells that make up the bone marrow loses integrity. The complication of the damage to the genetic materials is the production and proliferation of unhealthy blood cells and platelets, including white blood cells that play a significant role in the body’s natural defense against infection.

With only a few healthy white blood cells in the body, the immune system becomes weak and the person becomes more prone to infections. Another cause of a weaker immune system from AML is the fact that most AML medications reduce the strength of the immune system. This is true even after the defective stem cells have been replaced by healthy cells during treatment.

To minimize AML-assisted infections, it’s crucial to adhere to good dental and personal hygiene. Doctors often recommend specific antibiotics to prevent bacterial infections. AML patients should also refrain from contact with people who have known infections such as measles and chickenpox.

About Health Maintenance Organizations – Managed Care Plans

The recipient of the 2016 CFO Award for Turn-Around Achievement of the Year by the South Florida Business Journal, William Burns is a seasoned business leader who has served as an executive at multiple firms. As executive vice president and chief financial officer of Cross Country Healthcare in Boca Raton, Florida, William Burns oversees the firm’s accounting, tax, and business development operations. He also has well-established experience in various insurance policies.

Managed care plans are a type of health insurance policy that provides policyholders access to quality medical care at lower prices. There are three main types of managed care plans – point of service, PPO, and Health Maintenance Organizations.

In a Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) contract, the insured obtains a policy that allows for medical, surgical, and sometimes dental expense coverage only when the care is provided by a specified list of health specialists and medical facilities. HMO contract also requires that a primary physician is assigned to the insured. The physician’s role is not to treat the insured; instead, the physician recommends treatment, provides referrals for medical specialists, and supervises the treatment of the insured.

Before obtaining HMO coverage, it’s crucial to know the rules of the contract. The restricted list of medical providers and specialists’ services that the policy covers is called the network. The primary care physician’s duty is to guide the insured so they can receive quality care within the network. If the insured receives medical service from any provider or specialist outside the network, the insurer often will not cover any percentage of the expenses. Suppose the treatment is offered through the network of providers, on the other hand. In that case, the insurer will cover a significant percentage of the expenses, reducing the treatment cost for the insured. It is crucial to note that some HMO contracts require preapproval by the insurer before an insured can obtain certain care within the network; otherwise, the insured will be liable for total attributed expenses.

Community Support Aspects of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Based in South Florida, William Burns serves as Cross Country Healthcare’s vice president and chief financial officer. Having undergone extensive treatment for leukemia and ultimately recovered, William Burns is an avid supporter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). In addition to serving on the regional LLS Board of Trustees, he chairs the nonprofit’s annual “Light the Night” Corporate Walk in Boca Raton.

In addition to supporting leading-edge research, one of the key activities of LLS is bringing together patients, family members, and health care professionals. Accessible online, the LLS Community offers members the opportunity to ask questions and provide support, as well as share their experiences of treatment and remission. A weekly Questions of the Day forum offers answers to specific queries, while the Ask an Expert video series provides answers from a specialist in blood cancer.

There are 130 Family Support Groups that provide the opportunity to meet in person every month. Each group is facilitated by a pair of credentialed mental health and health care professionals who are trained specifically in oncology group work. They address questions related to treatment, stress, loss, and feelings of guilt.

Complementing these support groups is chat- and phone-based support from First Connection peer volunteers who have experienced similar diagnoses. This helps newly diagnosed patients understand what their disease and treatment involves and makes them aware that there are others who are experiencing the same thing.

Dispelling Martial Arts Misconceptions

Executive vice president and chief financial officer at Cross Country Healthcare, William Burns oversees the company’s finance functions, working with investors, and payroll, billing, and collections, among other duties. Outside of work, William Burns enjoys martial arts.

While some view martial arts as violent and culminating in combat, the opposite is true. Martial arts encompass a broad category of exercises teaching participants discipline as well as self-defense skills outside of fighting.

Some also believe the art form is aggressive and creates bullies. However, the environment where people train is positive and not conducive to bullying and other aggressive behavior. The activity is structured, focusing on discipline through learning various techniques.

In addition, not all people who train in the martial arts do so to compete or engage in combat. Some who train do so to learn how to use their personal gifts to protect themselves and family members. In addition, many do so to benefit from numerous health benefits, including weight loss, increased strength and power, and improved reflexes.

SIA Executive Forum Addresses Future

As the EVP and CFO of Cross Country Healthcare, William Burns oversees all financial departments, including the tax, treasury, and business development departments. Additionally, William Burns actively participates in professional conferences such as the Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) Executive Forum.

SIA is an advisory body that provides research-backed workforce solutions to improve business results. The organization holds an annual executive forum conference in North America.

The 2021 four-day conference was scheduled for March 8, but due to the pandemic, the conference was conducted as a virtual event. The theme for the 2021 conference was New Strategies for a New World, with a focus on research and strategies to cope with the shifting landscape of global markets.

Keynote speaker and SIA president Barry Asin delivered the opening speech, offering his insights on the challenges faced by the industry today. Sessions tackled topics such as opportunities in the post-COVID economy, implementing AI in recruitment, and leadership in remote workplaces. In addition to the conference’s sessions and roundtable discussions, the winners of the Best Staffing Firms were announced in a special event.

Digital Transformation No Longer an Option but a Necessity

A Florida businessman, William Burns serves as executive vice president and chief financial officer (CFO) at Cross Country Healthcare, located in Boca Raton. In this role, William Burns partners with other key staff members to execute the company’s mission, which is to provide staffing to health care organizations.

One of the issues facing company heads relates to integrating technology into their platforms. For many, embracing a digital platform is unavoidable, as the business landscape has evolved to make it possible for teams across several companies to work with one another. The digital transformation is here, and for the most part, it has made it possible for businesses to maximize productivity.

For businesses that focus on providing staffing to other businesses, adopting a more digital platform has a number of benefits for CFOs. In general, adopting technology culminates in having more time; for a recruiter, it can result in faster, and in some cases immediate, hires.

Moreover, in the midst of the pandemic, digital platforms became necessary to survive. Integration of systems, automation, and other tools made work more efficient for many firms that worked remotely. While many businesses have gone back to the office, technology’s increasing presence in the workplace is no longer an option but, in today’s fast-paced business environment, a necessity.