PATIENT ACCESS DIRECTOR

Patient Access Services Manager

Provides direction, leadership and accountability for Patient Access Services at Seton Medical Center and Seton Coastside for Registration, Financial Counseling, Reservations and cashiering functions. Coordinates such functions with other departments and among various customers including but not limited to Lab, Imaging, Outpatient Surgery, New Life Center and Seton Coastside. Optimizes staff performance through process redesign, policy / procedure implementation, communications, and outcome feedback. Includes professional development and empowerment of staff, management of human, fiscal and other resources to promote desired outcomes with attention to quality, efficiency and cost.

Attends Directorial meetings as a representative of the department, as required. Accepts and handles inquiries from patients, staff and outside sources professionally and efficiently, works with other departments to improve registration, insurance verification, and cash at time of services collection processes, and provides support to the Chief Financial Officer in achieving the goals of the Medical Center.

Responsibilities

Management of Registration Processes; Systems

Maintains 24 hour accountability for excellence by :

1. Developing and sustaining an environment for proactive decision-making. Actualizing institutional values, goals and objectives by establishing, evaluating and modifying processes and systems.

2. Responsible for daily operations of functional division including direct supervision of all patient access associates and shared supervision of associates in other departments where the patient access process extends to. Develops strategies to improve services by automating manual functions, re-engineering or streamlining processes.

3. Develops mechanisms to : Improve associate and customer satisfaction. Validate that practice is consistent with healthcare standards. Monitor processes ensuring quality and effectiveness of service within the department and with other service departments. Facilitates, supports and incorporates management and healthcare research into practice.

4. Practice reflects : Effective application of organization improvement principles and initiatives. Effective partnerships with physicians and other colleagues to ensure patient centered care. Coordination of activities that relate to registration, charge entry, reception, escort and transportation issues, and support coverage of other departmental divisions. Collaborates with other departments to assure that necessary information is available at the time of service. Regularly and on a timely basis communicates operational, patient accounting and other facility issues to the CFO. Coordinates with the CFO and Department Heads the implementation of new processes or programs. Compiles and reports performance on key indicators to Associates and CFO on a regular basis. Monitors standards and key indicators on a routine basis.

5. Leadership : Make effective decisions within the scope of delegated authority. Demonstrates effective communication skills. Demonstrates behaviors of trust and respect towards others. Realizes the impact of self on others and adjusts interpersonal style accordingly. Manages team projects by empowerment and collaboration of team members. Fosters interdisciplinary collaborative relationships within area of responsibility and the institution that promotes active participation. Provides operational guidance and direction to assigned staff to ensure service integration, effective coordination of departmental work activities, and quality job performance. Elicits feedback from interdisciplinary team including the medical staff and involves them in decision-making.

6. Serves as primary liaison regarding registration and database issues; 3rd party reimbursement issues related to registration practices; charge entry, financial counseling; and assigned reception activities. Creates a culture supportive of personnel fostering individual motivation, teamwork and high levels of performance and accountability. Utilizes the Core Values as the basis for management making them a part of recruitment, orientation, and training for associates Participates in the redesign of registration and intake processes to improve service, data integrity, and staff productivity / quality to achieve departmental goals and process outcomes. Strategically plans for implementation of redesigned processes. Adapts to rapid change in the institution. Facilitates innovative processes, which promote patient outcomes with attention to quality, efficiency and cost. Actualizes redesign concepts through optimal staff performance. Demonstrates behaviors that support the leadership team. Develop and maintain supportive relationships with peers and leaders. Deals with conflict in a direct and timely manner. Serves as a coach, resource and / or mentor to peers. Provides guidance and direction to assigned staff to ensure effective integration and coordination of departmental work activities and quality job performance. Represents the department in all matters directly relating to registration functions and in the absence of the Director.

7. Professional Development and Empowerment : Conducts a formal assessment of the developmental needs of the department and each Associate member on a periodic basis. Collaborates with : Associates in an ongoing assessment of department / division needs. Each Associate member in assessment of individual needs. Promotes opportunities for Associate development with attention to skills in independent decision-making, effective communications and interpersonal relations to ensure customer satisfaction in conjunction with SMC Core Values and to foster team spirit. Creates opportunities for Associates to increase their knowledge base, advance their practice and enhance their professionalism through : A comprehensive Associate orientation program. Established expectations and performance standards. Continuing education opportunities. A comprehensive competency program. Effective division governance structure. Team leadership / membership in Quality Processes and Re-Engineering. Provides performance feedback and evaluation. Provides feedback in prompt, direct and positive manner; Mentors and coaches associates to ensure positive outcomes. Conducts performance evaluations.

8. Provides counseling and / or conflict resolution regarding unresolved performance issues. Demonstrates effective use of the disciplinary process. Establishes a written developmental plan with clear expectations and subsequent consequences. Serves as technical advisor and resource to Associates.

9. Management of Human. Fiscal and Other Resources : Develops recruitment / retention strategies, which reflect fiscal accountability, department needs and availability of personnel. Selects Associates based on potential contributions, departmental culture / needs and personnel policies. Utilizes input from Associate and other resources. Recommends allocation of resources based on scope of goals and priorities. Maintains fiscal accountability for assigned area of responsibility : Projects operational, capital, and new program needs for the future. Collaborates with finance, marketing and other disciplines. Monitors volumes and distributions to assure adequate staffing for expedient customer service. Plans and implements effective cost containment / reduction measures to meet budget goals. Analyzes budget for accuracy, trends, and variance and makes appropriate adjustments. Communicates findings to the appropriate person(s). Communicates budget parameters to Associates to enable efficient utilization of resources. Provides input in the design and enhancement of the Patient Intake / Registration Computer Systems and support processes. Develops Associate work schedules to ensure cost effective staffing that meets customer requirements. Analyzes and displays data in meaningful formats; Develops and communicates Policies / Procedures and other business documentation; Conducts special studies and prepares management reports. Responsible for Key Performance Indicators as they relate to the division (waiting / service times, Associate productivity, accuracy, customer feedback, Incident Reporting, etc.). Performs other duties assigned. Abides by facility's Code of Conduct and HIPAA compliance.

Qualifications

EDUCATION : Bachelor's degree preferred. Progressive supervisory / management experience in a large healthcare setting with responsibility for the management of multiple sites. Experience in transforming a diverse work team and multiple functions into a customer-centered orientation.

EXPERIENCE : Three to five years of current patient access management, Patient Accounting, 3rd Party Payor, Revenue Cycle, Business Services, Acute Care and / or Managed Care experience highly desired. PC literate.

CERTIFICATIONS / LICENSURE : Certified Healthcare Access Director (CHAM) as awarded by the National Association of Healthcare Access Management or eligible candidate preferred.

OTHER SKILLS, ABILITIES & KNOWLEDGE :

Maintains current knowledge of registration processes and systems; regulatory and 3rd party payor issues; and automated systems through literature review and inservice. Demonstrated ability to design, implement, and direct a program that elicits desired outcomes on an organizational level. Proven ability in information systems design, management engineering / redesign and CQI. Demonstrated ability to interpret customer requirements and recommend, design and implement procedures for compliance with regulations and standards. Ability to communicate and work with physicians, physician office personnel, associates, service line leadership, and others in order to expedite the registration process to avoid negative financial impact on the facility. Dynamic communication skills (verbal and written) in dealing with trainees,associates, and internal / external customers. Ability to successfully work with a large, diverse work team. Displays ongoing leadership in promoting positive attitudes and ensuring exceptional customer service. Capability and flexibility to develop skills needed as a change agent; Ability to form partnerships through consensus; Strong negotiation skills. Serves as a coach, mentor, team builderand facilitator. Creativity in making process recommendations and to implement such change. Effective critical thinking, problem solving and decision making skills. Strong quantitative and analytical abilities to process and display data. Self-directed, global thinker with the ability to work with groups as well as individually. Must possess self-motivated spirit and seeks educational opportunities to increase professional competency. Flexible work style, tactful, poised, and patient. Ability to handle a high degree of pressure, heavy workloads, multiple requests, numerous interruptions, and short deadlines in a positive manner, establishing priorities for effective work completion. Adapts quickly to changing conditions, assimilating new processes into job functions and taking ownership. Effective time management and organizational skills to identify, prioritize and reach goals and objectives faster and easier, cope with multiple demands in a timely manner, and overcome changing priorities. Ability to successfully plan monitors supports and improves multiple activities. Capable of maintaining strict confidentiality within and outside the organization.