Assistant Director, Patient Access Services over Stanyan, Hyde, and BCH Oakland

University of California, San Francisco•San Francisco, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Director, Patient Access Services, under the general supervision of the Patient Access Services Director, is responsible for the administrative services and operations for patient admissions, registration, ED, Surgical Waiting Room and Lab registration and reception services, and transfer admissions. This role also oversees patient financial screening, counseling and assistance services, and price estimates/quotes, all in accordance with federal, local, and internal standards, policies, and regulations. The position typically includes operations, fiscal management, and program planning, with management oversight for 24/7 staff and operations. The Assistant Director manages the Patient Access and business operations of UCSF Health Community Hospital patient access services locations, encompassing multiple hospitals and numerous separate points of patient access with 24/7 and extended hour operations. Responsibilities include managing day-to-day operational, financial, human, and other resource management, and strategic planning. The role has clinical and administrative responsibility for developing and maintaining a high standard of patient access to care and the patient financial experience. The Assistant Director will inform, design, and construct ADT and patient access workflows and oversee the ongoing optimization of the electronic medical record (EMR) and other systems unique to patient access services operations and the medical center. In conjunction with admitting and referring providers, nursing, care transitions professionals, and key administrative staff (including Pre-Access Operations, Hospital and Medical Group Contracting Services, Patient Financial Services, Patient Relations, Compliance, Regulatory and Privacy teams), the Assistant Director will design and be instrumental in workflows and processes to ensure effective and optimal patient experience and patient flow. Working with the Director, the Assistant Director will adopt existing policies and procedures and develop customized procedures and programs that respond to changing health care coverage and reimbursement requirements, as well as individualized patient qualities and needs. Patient Access Services Admissions, Transfer and Registration functions entail patient admissions, registration, financial screening, counseling and clearance, insurance verification and authorization services, and price estimates for UCSF Health. This department is organized to provide services on behalf of a wide spectrum of inpatient and outpatient clinical providers, departments, and clinics, operating on a 24/7 or extended hour basis across multiple hospitals and numerous access points. To protect and preserve the financial assets of UCSF Health, the Admissions and Registration operational units must apply sound financial management of inpatient and outpatient insurance and authorization processes as it relates to access to care and timely and efficient claims submission. Patient service financial clearance responsibilities are critical to ensuring that over 1 billion dollars in patient care services annually will be covered by insurance and reimbursed in a timely manner. This also includes management and oversight of ADT/Registration Discharged Not Billed (DNB) claim holds, ensuring timely review and resolution to maintain goals. Community Hospital Admitting and Registration functions support the quality, clinical service, strategic destination program, and financial interests of UCSF Health across adult and pediatric spectrums.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent combination of experience / training
Minimum of seven (7) years healthcare management experience
Strong patient admissions, ED, registration, financial counseling management experience, with progressive expertise in department management, staff scheduling, customer service methods, incident reporting, regulatory compliance, accreditation requirements, information technology, and the policies, principles, best practices, and standards involved with effective patient access services administration
Strong knowledge of relevant healthcare and admissions/registration operations information technology, including revenue cycle and billing systems and patient access to care workflows and processes
Strong knowledge of relevant regulatory requirements, as well as related legislative, accreditation, licensing and compliance environments
Excellent skills in successfully managing patient access services functions
Excellent and advanced managerial skills and human resources management knowledge, including staff deployment, resource utilization, budgeting and financial management, quality improvement, and program planning and implementation
Skills to develop strategic plans, create benchmarks, integrate systems and fiscal management
Excellent and advanced communications skills to convey complex information clearly and concisely to all levels of staff, management, and outside agencies, with the ability to motivate, influence, and persuade others

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Public Health or Public Administration

Responsibilities

Directs the clinical and operational functions and staff. Recommends allocation of staff, space, equipment, and other resources to optimize the delivery of patient access services. Oversees implementation of quality improvement plans. Ensures compliance with internal policies and external regulations, including but not limited to, TJC, CDPH, EMTALA, HIPAA.
Designs and oversees a financial process that provides a comprehensive view of current and forecasted revenue cycle performance, to include revenues, costs, industry trends and reimbursements. Ensures an infrastructure for central coordination of the patient access services units and/or financial operating budgets. Reviews and approves fiscal planning proposals for new programs and budgets.
Responsible for employee recruitment, performance evaluation, progressive discipline and staff development. Works collaboratively with Labor Relations on bargaining unit issues and contract negotiations at the local level.
Analyzes functionality, quality, and efficiency of APeX and information systems from a best practices standpoint. Creates and utilizes analytics to track and assess patient access services performance. Proposes modifications or new systems as needed.
Develops and implements patient service standards and metrics, based on best practices. Develops managers to create a workplace culture with a focus on service excellence and employee empowerment for creativity, efficiency, engagement, quality of care, ingenuity, safety, and innovations in operations.
Develops processes and analytics to assure viability of existing programs and practice patterns, and optimize productivity. Reviews and approves proposals for operational performance improvement projects that impact marketability and service.
Assure internal policies and external regulations are followed across the patient access services department in regards to financial policies, billing and coding practices and cash handling and management.
Ability to collaborate and lead unit management team in Patient Financial Services and Revenue Cycle Quality and Education claims denial and process improvement initiatives.
Ability to learn LEAN principles and apply them in the unit.
Create and lead True North Board rounding and integrate unit goals into organization goals.