Director of Patient Throughput & Strategic Discharge Planning
About The Position
The Director of Patient Throughput & Strategic Discharge Planning is a system-level leadership role responsible for optimizing patient flow across the continuum of care at PAM Health. This position leads enterprise strategies that improve patient throughput, reduce avoidable length of stay (LOS), and ensure timely, safe, and high-quality discharges—particularly for clinically, socially, and operationally complex patients. The role provides system-level oversight and escalation support for complex discharge barriers, partnering with hospital and system leadership to resolve challenges related to placement, payer authorization, medical readiness, social determinants of health, and post-acute care availability. The Director works collaboratively with executive leadership, hospital operations, nursing, physicians, case management, therapy, and external partners to align throughput initiatives with organizational quality, financial, and patient experience goals.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, Healthcare Administration, or related field required; Master’s degree preferred.
- Minimum of 5–7+ years of progressive leadership experience in hospital operations, patient flow, or case management.
- Demonstrated success improving LOS metrics and managing complex discharge populations.
- Executive presence with the ability to influence across multidisciplinary teams.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and escalation management skills.
- Excellent communication, facilitation, and negotiation abilities.
- Ability to balance operational efficiency with patient-centered care delivery
Responsibilities
- Develop and implement system-wide patient throughput and discharge planning strategies across LTACH and IRF settings.
- Lead LOS optimization initiatives with a focus on reducing avoidable days and delayed discharges.
- Standardize discharge planning workflows to support safe, timely transitions of care.
- Monitor throughput metrics to identify trends, bottlenecks, and opportunities for improvement.
- Provide enterprise-level oversight and escalation support for high-risk and complex discharges.
- Address discharge barriers related to payer authorization, placement availability, social determinants of health, and medical readiness.
- Partner with post-acute providers, payers, and community resources to improve access and continuity of care.
- Lead complex discharge reviews and interdisciplinary case conferences to drive timely resolution.
- Partner with executive leadership, nursing, physicians, case management, therapy, and ancillary services to align throughput goals.
- Facilitate interdisciplinary throughput, LOS, and discharge barrier meetings.
- Serve as a subject matter expert on best practices in patient flow and care transitions.
- Establish and monitor KPIs related to LOS, avoidable days, discharge efficiency, and readmissions.
- Utilize data analytics to drive decision-making and report performance to executive leadership.
- Support hospitals in translating data insights into targeted improvement plans.
- Ensure compliance with regulatory, accreditation, and payer requirements related to discharge planning.
- Promote evidence-based initiatives that reduce readmissions and improve post-discharge outcomes.
- Align throughput initiatives with patient safety, quality improvement, and patient experience priorities.
Benefits
- Medical Benefits: EPO/HDHP/HSA options, including prescription coverage, Rx ’n Go, and Teladoc
- Comprehensive dental and vision benefits
- Employee Assistance Program, including counseling, legal, and financial service
- Flexible spending (FSA) and health savings (HSA) accounts
- Life and Disability insurance benefits
- Education/In-Service Opportunities including continuing education and tuition assistance
- Supplemental benefits: Accident, critical illness, cancer, pet, and identity theft protection insurance options
- Auto, Home, Cell Phone, and Gym Membership discount offerings
- Personal Travel Discounts
- 401(k) plans and discretionary employer match
- Generous Paid Benefit Time
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
