SYSTEM DIRECTOR OF PATIENT ACCESS - FINANCE - REVENUE CYCLE

About the position

The System Director of Patient Access is responsible for assessing, directing, and coordinating all patient access resources of the Health System to improve and contribute to the accurate and efficient capture, management, and collection of patient service revenue. This position is responsible for managing the patient access operations and staff for Cook County Health (CCH), including Ambulatory and Community Health Network, Stroger Hospital, Provident Hospital, and Oak Forest Hospital. This position will have the responsibility of managing the following processes in all patient access throughout CCH, including inpatient, ambulatory and emergency departments, financial counseling, admitting, centralized and decentralized registration, insurance verification, and bed control.

Responsibilities

• Completes various financial forecasts, annual budgets, month-end financial reporting, receivables levels, productivity and any long-range strategic planning for the department.
• Oversees leadership responsible for daily operations in the Patient Access department. Directs daily activities including request for service intake and management, insurance eligibility, and financial counseling.
• Provides timely communications. Conducts regular meetings that include the managers within Patient Access.
• Maintains and revises policies and procedures. Coordinates with staff, management and the governance to establish and or revise current policies.
• Oversees personnel issues in the Patient Access department. Sets guidelines for the hiring and training practices of the department. Directs terminations and disciplinary actions within policies and guidelines set by Human Resources. Assists management with performance evaluations of staff.
• Oversees the leadership standardization of patient access reporting and processes within all patient access information systems, registration process, service and productivity standards, continuous quality improvement (CQI) and compliance standards.
• Oversees leadership to maintain performance agreement set for patient access staff. Oversees weekly review of staff performance.
• Oversees leadership to create and maintain the patient access dashboard for internal management of system departments and as a monitoring tool for executives.
• Assumes fiscal responsibility. Establishes and monitors the department’s budget in coordination with leadership. Identifies and implements methods for controlling costs. Continuously monitors expenses against established budget.
• Provides information to senior levels of management on the implication of policies and procedures being formulated and recommends specific action.
• Oversees leadership to ensure that managers and staff understands/interprets compliance regulations, standards and directives regarding governmental /regulatory agencies and/or third-party payers and how these regulations affect patient access.
• In collaboration with IT leadership, develops technology and process improvement road maps as they relate to patient access.
• Actively participates in department and CCH committees, as well as in special projects.
• Promotes quality management by initiating/participating in specific reviews and assists with quality monitoring. Holds access staff accountable to the Memorandum of Agreement.
• Assures staff is informed of regulatory, process, and information system changes which includes ongoing staff education.
• Oversees leadership to ensure that staff maintains a working knowledge of all billing regulations and applications as it relates to the collection of patients balances.
• Establishes and maintains an effective 'Up Front' collection effort.
• Develops and maintains reports to ensure key functions are performed promptly and accurately.
• Manages the patient access operations and staff for Cook County Health.
• Improves and contributes to the accurate and efficient capture, management, and collection of patient service revenue.
• Manages pre-arrival process, insurance verification, bed control, and vendor management.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from accredited college or university in Business Administration, Organizational Development, Finance, Accounting, or Health Care Administration is required.
• Seven (7) years of work experience in patient access is required.
• Five (5) years of management experience in patient access, patient financial services or other revenue cycle function in an academic medical center or health system that includes hospitals and clinics is required.

Nice-to-haves

• Master’s degree from an accredited college or university is preferred.
• Previous experience within a multi system hospital setting, or multiple clinic healthcare provider is preferred.
• Membership in Healthcare Finance Management Association, American Healthcare Information Management Association, or American College of Healthcare Executives is preferred.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage
• Basic Term Life Insurance
• Pension Plan
• Deferred Compensation Program
• Paid Holidays, Vacation, and Sick Time
• You may also qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)