Executive Director, Patient Access Pre-Arrival Services

Beth Israel Lahey Health

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Executive Director of Patient Access provides strategic and operational leadership for Patient Access services across Beth Israel Lahey Health hospitals for Pre-Arrival Services. This role oversees multiple Directors of Patient Access and is responsible for ensuring consistent operational excellence, standardization, and performance across all patient access functions. The Executive Director develops and implements system-wide strategy, performance metrics, and transformation initiatives related to patient access operations including scheduling, eligibility verification, financial assistance and patient estimates and partners with other Patient Access leaders on initiatives including registration, admissions, eligibility verification and point-of-service collections. This position partners closely with clinical, operational, financial, and revenue cycle leadership to ensure access services support the organization’s strategic goals, patient experience priorities, and revenue integrity objectives. The Executive Director is a key participant in system-level revenue cycle transformation initiatives, ensuring that patient access operations align with best practices, digital innovation, and system standardization. The role reports to the Vice President, Patient Access and represents Patient Access leadership in enterprise initiatives and governance forums.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
10+ years of experience in Patient Access, Revenue Cycle, or Healthcare Operations.
5+ years of progressive leadership experience overseeing multi-site operations or multiple leaders.
Demonstrated success implementing system-wide operational improvements and performance management programs.
Experience leading revenue cycle transformation or large-scale operational initiatives.
Expertise in patient access workflows, eligibility verification, authorization management, and point-of-service collections.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Health Administration, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
Strong experience with Epic or similar enterprise EHR systems.
Advanced analytical skills with experience using performance dashboards and operational KPIs.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement a system-wide strategy for Patient Access operations aligned with organizational goals for revenue cycle performance, patient experience, and operational efficiency.
Partner with executive leadership to standardize access workflows, policies, and technologies across multiple hospitals and ambulatory locations.
Lead Patient Access participation in enterprise revenue cycle transformation initiatives, including automation, digital scheduling, centralized access models, and Epic optimization.
Identify opportunities to reduce revenue leakage, improve throughput, and enhance financial performance through front-end process improvement.
Represent Patient Access at system-level leadership forums, revenue cycle governance committees, and operational planning initiatives.
Establish, monitor, and continuously improve key performance indicators (KPIs) across Patient Access operations.
Hold Directors accountable for performance across metrics including: Point-of-service collections; Insurance eligibility verification accuracy; Authorization and financial clearance rates; Pre-registration and estimates completion; Registration accuracy and data integrity; Patient throughput and wait times; Denial prevention related to front-end errors; Staff productivity and quality metrics.
Implement performance dashboards and reporting frameworks to monitor trends, identify risks, and drive continuous improvement.
Lead regular operational performance reviews with Directors and senior stakeholders.
Provide executive oversight for Patient Access operations including: Appointment scheduling; Pre-registration; Financial Assistance; Patient Estimates.
Ensure departments meet or exceed industry benchmarks for access operations and revenue cycle performance.
Oversee operational alignment between Patient Access and: Patient Registration; Financial Clearance; Managed Care; Health Information Management; Clinical operations.
Drive operational standardization across hospitals while accommodating site-specific needs.
Serve as a primary liaison between Patient Access leadership and clinical, operational, and financial stakeholders.
Partner with hospital leadership to ensure Patient Access supports clinical throughput, patient satisfaction, and financial goals.
Lead cross-functional collaboration with departments including: Emergency Medicine; Surgical Services; Ambulatory Operations; Finance and Revenue Integrity; Information Technology / Epic teams.
Facilitate regular stakeholder engagement meetings to align priorities and resolve operational barriers.
Provide leadership, mentorship, and development for multiple Directors of Patient Access and their teams.
Establish clear expectations and accountability for operational performance, staff engagement, and service excellence.
Foster a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and patient-centered service.
Ensure compliance with Beth Israel Lahey Health HR policies regarding hiring, performance management, disciplinary actions, and professional development.
Collaborate with the Vice President to develop and manage department operating and capital budgets across Patient Access functions.
Ensure effective management of staffing models, productivity standards, and expense controls.
Identify opportunities to optimize staffing structures and centralized models to support system efficiency.