Manager, Patient Access

McKesson•Cary, NC

12d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Manager, Patient Access provides tactical leadership and supervision for oncology and core Patient Access Services, including the inbound patient access contact center, prior authorizations and appeals, claims adjudication, benefit investigation and eligibility verification, and patient financial assistance. The role turns strategy into team goals and processes, manages resources and workload distribution, monitors performance, coaches supervisors, coordinates across teams, and drives operational excellence, compliance, and a strong patient and provider experience. This hybrid position is based in Cary, North Carolina, with a requirement to work in the office two days per week. Target compensation is $92,000–$94,000 per year plus a 15% bonus. The posting also lists a base pay range of $64,100–$106,900. The position requires a degree or equivalent experience and typically calls for six or more years of professional experience. A bachelor's degree in healthcare, business, management, or a related field is preferred; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.

Requirements

Degree or equivalent experience.
Typically, six or more years of professional experience and zero to two years of supervisory experience.
Six or more years of experience within specialty pharmacy, relevant pharmaceutical industry services, or related healthcare operations.
Two or more years of progressive people leadership experience, including responsibility for developing frontline teams.
Demonstrated knowledge of patient access operations and the interdependencies among contact center services, benefits investigation, eligibility verification, prior authorization and appeals, claims adjudication, and patient financial assistance.
Ability to translate strategic priorities into measurable team goals, processes, resource plans, and performance expectations.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including interpreting operational trends, identifying root causes, and implementing corrective actions.
Ability to build accountability, develop talent, and manage change across teams.
Strong communication, collaboration, organization, and customer service skills, with a patient-centric mindset.
Proficiency with Microsoft applications and ability to learn pharmacy, patient access, workflow, contact center, and workforce-management systems.
Flexible, adaptable, detail-oriented, and committed to operational excellence and continuous improvement.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in healthcare, business, management, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.

Responsibilities

Translate Patient Access strategy, priorities, and service commitments into goals, processes, operating expectations, and execution plans for supervisors and their teams.
Establish operating cadence, priorities, and decision paths that support consistent daily execution.
Address escalated service concerns and operational exceptions with urgency, sound judgment, and clear communication.
Drive consistent implementation of approved organizational changes across Patient Access teams.
Assess workload, staffing, skill mix, queue health, and service demand, and shift resources when necessary to protect service levels and patient access.
Coordinate workload distribution and coverage across teams while balancing operational needs with training, development, quality, and employee sustainability.
Work with supervisors to anticipate bottlenecks, competing priorities, and dependencies, and establish recovery plans when performance is at risk.
Provide leadership input on staffing needs, hiring priorities, onboarding plans, and workforce readiness.
Monitor productivity, quality, turnaround times, service levels, and other performance measures; identify trends and course correct when results deviate from expectations.
Hold supervisors accountable for team performance, follow-through, coaching, work accuracy, and adherence to established processes.
Use operational data, quality findings, employee feedback, and workflow observations to identify root causes and prioritize improvements in people, processes, and technology.
Lead continuous improvement efforts to simplify workflows, strengthen handoffs, improve consistency, and enhance patient and provider experience.
Communicate performance, risks, dependencies, improvement actions, and outcomes to senior leadership and key business partners.
Lead, coach, and develop Patient Access supervisors in performance management, employee coaching, issue resolution, communication, and frontline decision-making.
Set clear expectations, promote consistent supervisory practices, and conduct regular one-on-ones, performance discussions, talent reviews, and development planning with direct reports.
Foster trust, accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and patient-centered service.
Coordinate priorities and handoffs across Patient Access functions and partner with pharmacy operations, clinical, quality, training, technology, client-facing, and other stakeholders to resolve cross-functional issues and implement sustainable solutions.
Lead escalated patient, provider, client, and operational concerns that require coordination beyond a single supervisor or team.
Ensure Patient Access complies with standard operating procedures, work instructions, contractual obligations, and applicable federal and state requirements.
Review quality and compliance trends, ensure corrective actions are implemented, and verify sustained adherence to expectations.
Partner with Quality, Training, and operational stakeholders on audits, remediation, process updates, and readiness activities as applicable.