DIRECTOR OF HOSPITAL PATIENT FINANCIAL SERVICES

South Central Regional Medical Center•Laurel, MS

About The Position

The Director of Hospital Patient Financial Services provides strategic, tactical, and operational leadership for hospital patient financial services across multiple facilities. This executive-level role has direct supervisory authority and full management responsibility for team performance, operational outcomes, financial performance, and compliance across the hospital patient financial services function. The Director may make personnel decisions within established SCRMC policy and implement operational changes within the department’s scope. The position is accountable for the accuracy, compliance, productivity, financial integrity, and performance of hospital billing, accounts receivable, self-pay, collections, cash posting, payment processing, denial management, and account resolution. The Director leads, develops, and manages patient financial services staff, including contract staff, and ensures hospital patient account functions comply with regulatory requirements, payer guidelines, and SCRMC policies and standards. The role works with clinical, financial, administrative, and revenue cycle leadership to optimize revenue cycle outcomes.

Requirements

A bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Finance, Accounting, Health Information Management, or a related field is preferred.
At least five years of progressive experience in hospital patient financial services, healthcare revenue cycle management, progressive hospital billing, or a related healthcare financial function is required.
Comprehensive knowledge of the hospital revenue cycle, including billing, claims, accounts receivable, denials, self-pay, collections, payment posting, refunds, and account resolution.
Strong understanding of Medicare, Medicaid, commercial payer, CMS, and applicable state and federal billing requirements.
Strong knowledge of hospital reimbursement and payer adjudication processes.
Ability to analyze financial and operational data and translate findings into measurable performance improvement.
Strong financial management and problem-solving skills.
Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex financial and operational issues to executive leadership.
Strong organizational skills and ability to manage competing priorities and meet regulatory and financial deadlines.
Proficiency with electronic health records, patient accounting systems, revenue cycle platforms, Microsoft Office, and data reporting tools.
Knowledge of hospital contractual reimbursement, payment variance analysis, and underpayment identification.
Ability to perform the essential functions of the position, with reasonable accommodations as applicable.

Nice To Haves

At least five years of progressive long-term care and skilled nursing facility billing experience.
Revenue cycle, healthcare financial management, or related professional certification.
HFMA certification or another applicable healthcare revenue cycle certification.
Experience with Epic Resolute Hospital Billing and/or Epic revenue cycle applications.
Experience managing a hospital Patient Financial Services department.
Experience with denial prevention and root-cause analysis.
Experience with revenue cycle dashboards, financial analytics, and productivity reporting.

Responsibilities

Lead and supervise hospital patient financial services operations, including staffing, performance management, coaching, budgeting, productivity, and staff development.
Oversee accurate and timely hospital billing, claim submission, billing work queues, edits, rejections, payer requirements, and account resolution.
Manage accounts receivable, cash flow, aging, payer follow-up, underpayments, denials, appeals, audits, and reimbursement issues.
Direct self-pay operations, patient statements, financial assistance, payment plans, bad debt, refunds, and internal and external collection activities.
Ensure accurate and timely cash posting, payment reconciliation, adjustment processing, and resolution of unapplied cash.
Develop and maintain departmental policies, procedures, compliance protocols, and internal controls in accordance with payer, CMS, Medicaid, DNV, HIPAA, OIG, state and federal requirements, and SCRMC standards.
Oversee required regulatory and financial reporting, documentation, audit responses, and corrective actions.
Monitor key performance indicators and regulatory and payer changes; communicate updates, analyze trends and root causes, and implement improvements to increase collections, reduce accounts receivable and denials, and improve accuracy and efficiency.
Support implementation, optimization, and effective use of EMR and revenue cycle systems, reporting tools, system conversions, and operational workflows.
Collaborate with Revenue Cycle leadership, clinical teams, and organizational departments to resolve issues, address documentation and reimbursement concerns, support strategic initiatives, report performance, and perform other assigned duties.