Executive Director, Patient Access Center

University of Texas at Austin•Austin, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Executive Director, Patient Access Center leads enterprise access transformation across ambulatory clinics, specialty practices, diagnostic services, ambulatory surgery centers, and hospital-based services. The role designs and implements new access models using automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and coordinated digital and human support. Responsibilities span scheduling, registration, insurance verification, authorization, referrals, financial clearance, and contact centers, with measurable gains in timely care, patient experience, capacity utilization, and revenue cycle performance. The Executive Director reports to the Chief Operating Officer and partners with physician leaders, operations, nursing, IT, finance, revenue cycle, managed care, and patient experience leaders. This leader owns the access transformation roadmap, redesigns workflows, and scales proven innovations. The role builds access capabilities for new facilities and care models while ensuring reliable operations, responsible AI use, and equitable access.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, Finance, Health Information Management, or related field.
10 years of progressively responsible healthcare operations, patient access, revenue cycle, contact center, ambulatory operations, or healthcare administration experience.
6 years directing managers and supervisors, including workflow or technology transformation.
Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Healthcare Administration (MHA), Business Administration (MBA), Public Health (MPH), or related discipline.
15 years of progressively responsible healthcare operations or patient access experience.
8 years of senior leadership experience overseeing multiple functions and leading transformation.
Experience within an academic medical center, integrated delivery system, or large physician enterprise.
Experience implementing Epic access tools, automation, AI, and analytics with measurable results.
Certified Healthcare Access Manager (CHAM)
Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE)
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt
Epic Certification(s) related to Cadence, Prelude, or Revenue Cycle functionality

Responsibilities

Directs Enterprise Patient Access Strategy and Operations: Aligns access transformation with enterprise growth, patient experience, and revenue cycle goals. Sets targets for time to care, referral conversion, capacity utilization, and responsiveness. Integrates scheduling, referrals, registration, contact centers, and digital self-service. Sets implementation owners, milestones, adoption targets, and measurable benefits. Pilots and scales proven access innovations with clinical, technology, and industry partners.
Oversees Scheduling, Referral Management, and Access Center Operations: Integrates centralized scheduling and digital self-scheduling across specialties and care settings. Automates referral intake, routing, provider matching, status tracking, and escalation. Partners with clinical leaders on scheduling standards, templates, and automated waitlists. Tracks appointment delays, referrals, call abandonment, digital adoption, and unused capacity. Coordinates phone, portal, web, and messaging access, with human support for complex needs.
Leads Revenue Cycle Front-End Operations: Automates registration, insurance verification, clearance, and authorization with Revenue Cycle. Implements digital intake and data validation to improve accuracy and reduce rework. Tracks data accuracy, authorization timeliness, clearance delays, and clean claim performance. Uses analytics and workflow redesign to prevent access-related denials and improve collections. Implements procedures supporting payer and regulatory compliance.
Leads Innovation, Automation, AI, and Digital Access Solutions: Implements an access innovation roadmap integrating Epic, digital tools, automation, and AI. Deploys self-scheduling and AI-assisted voice and messaging tools with reliable handoffs to staff. Leads innovation pilots from design and testing to deployment; measures adoption and results. Validates predictive analytics for demand, capacity, staffing, and no-show prevention. Partners with IT, clinical informatics, and vendors on integration, data quality, and implementation. Establishes AI monitoring, human oversight, and escalation with clinical and compliance leaders.
Directs Workforce Leadership and Talent Development: Develops leaders in access operations, digital implementation, analytics, and change management. Oversees Directors, Managers, Supervisors, and operational leaders. Trains teams in AI, automation, exception management, and support for complex patient needs. Redesigns staffing and roles as automation expands, aligning capacity with demand. Builds a culture of experimentation, accountability, service excellence, and sustained adoption.
Oversees Financial Management and Resource Stewardship: Aligns operating and capital budgets with access operations and the transformation roadmap. Measures staffing productivity, cost to serve, and capacity released through automation. Builds investment cases and verifies access, efficiency, experience, and financial gains. Manages vendors against integration, service, adoption, and measurable benefit requirements. Monitors departmental financial performance against targets.
Ensures Regulatory Compliance and Risk Management: Ensures compliance with CMS, HIPAA, EMTALA, No Surprises Act, state regulations, and payer requirements. Maintains policies for digital access, automated workflows, AI use, and human escalation. Audits access and AI performance for errors, bias, and service failures; leads corrective action. Partners with Compliance, IT security, and clinical leaders on privacy and responsible AI use. Maintains human support and downtime workflows to mitigate operational and technology risks.