Director, Patient Services

SAC Health • San Bernardino, CA

1d • $139,755 • Onsite

About The Position

Reporting into the Chief Operations Officer, the Director, Patient Services provides strategic leadership for Patient Services, Referrals, Patient Registration, and EPIC template teams. Access functions to ensure seamless access to care and an exceptional patient experience. This role is responsible for optimizing scheduling operations, clinic fulfillment, and patient services while driving operational excellence and performance outcomes. The Director partners with clinical, operational, and executive leaders to develop and implement strategies that improve access, efficiency, patient satisfaction, and revenue cycle performance. Through data-driven decision-making, continuous improvement, and staff development, the Director fosters a culture of accountability, service excellence, and collaboration.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, Public Health, or a related field required, or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be considered.
• Valid California driver's license, and auto insurance is required.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible healthcare operations experience, including patient access, scheduling, ambulatory operations, or revenue cycle functions, with at least five (5) years in a leadership role managing managers and/or supervisors.
• Experience with Epic scheduling and patient access workflows is required.
• Proficiency in healthcare information systems, understanding healthcare regulations like HIPAA, and adeptness in insurance verification and billing.
• Strong problem-solving abilities are crucial for addressing patient registration and billing issues efficiently.
• Attention to detail is vital due to the sensitivity of patient information.
• Effective communication is necessary for interactions with patients, staff, and stakeholders.
• Leadership and management skills are essential for overseeing the patient access team.
• Adaptability, flexibility, and efficient time management are also key in this fast-paced environment.
• Possess critical mental faculties to analyze complex medical situations, make informed decisions, and adapt to evolving patient needs.
• Adequate visual, hearing, and tactile acuity to proficiently perform essential duties.
• Ability to sit for long periods of time at a computer

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree preferred.
• CPXP (Certified Patient Experience Professional), Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt, PMP (Project Management Professional), CHAA (Certified Healthcare Access Associate), Epic Certifications is preferred.
• Experience in an FQHC, community health center, or multi-site ambulatory healthcare environment is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for Patient Services, Referrals, Patient Registration, and EPIC Template Management to ensure exceptional patient access and service delivery.
• Develop and execute patient access strategies that improve appointment availability, reduce barriers to care, and enhance the overall patient experience.
• Establish organizational standards, performance expectations, and accountability measures for all patient access operations.
• Lead enterprise-wide scheduling optimization initiatives to maximize provider capacity, clinic utilization, and access to care.
• Partner with physician, clinical, and operational leaders to align access strategies with organizational growth, service line expansion, and patient demand.
• Drive the effective design, governance, and optimization of EPIC scheduling templates to support operational efficiency and productivity goals.
• Champion continuous improvement efforts by leveraging data analytics, technology, and best practices to enhance service quality and operational performance.
• Monitor key performance indicators and operational trends, providing actionable recommendations to executive leadership to achieve organizational objectives.
• Ensure the integrity and effectiveness of patient registration, insurance verification, authorization, and financial clearance processes to support revenue cycle performance.
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory, accreditation, privacy, and organizational requirements impacting patient access and scheduling operations.
• Improve referral-to-appointment conversion rates and reduce scheduling delays across all service lines.
• Recruit, develop, and retain high-performing leaders and staff while maintaining strong employee engagement and accountability.
• Provide strategic oversight of referral management processes to ensure timely processing, scheduling, and completion of patient referrals.
• Utilize referral analytics to identify trends, capacity constraints, and opportunities for growth within specialty and primary care services.
• Partner with clinical leadership to develop and implement strategies that improve patient access, referral conversion, provider productivity, template optimization, and care coordination across all service lines.
• Establish regular performance reviews with clinical leadership to monitor access, referral, scheduling, and provider utilization metrics while ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Travel to other SACH clinics and offices as necessary; must have a reliable vehicle, valid driver's license, and auto insurance.
• Perform other duties as assigned by department leadership

Benefits

• Industry Leading PTO Accrual (accrued per pay period)
• Sick Leave
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Jury Duty, Bereavement
• SAC Health Covers approximately 85% of Team Member health premium costs (may vary w/benefit plan selection)
• Retirement - up to 8% employer contribution
• Continuing Education and Learning Benefits
• Annual Mission Trip

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director