Manager, Patient Access

UNM Medical Group • Albuquerque, NM

57d

About The Position

The Manager, Patient Access oversees front-end registration, scheduling, insurance verification, and related access functions within the UNM Medical Group. This role ensures efficient patient flow, accurate data capture, positive patient experience, and compliance with regulatory and payer requirements. The manager provides operational leadership, supervises patient access teams, and partners with clinical and revenue cycle leaders to optimize access, throughput, and revenue integrity.

Requirements

• High school diploma/GED required
• Five (5) years of experience in a patient access or healthcare setting, with three (3) years in a supervisory or management role.
• Possession of a valid, unrestricted New Mexico drivers license is a requirement for the job.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor's degree in healthcare administration, business administration, or a related field is preferred.
• Completed degree(s) from an accredited institution that are above the minimum education requirement may be substituted for experience on a year for year basis.

Responsibilities

• Manages day-to-day operations of patient access functions including registration, scheduling, referrals, insurance verification, prior authorization, and point-of-service collections; ensures timely and accurate patient registration and appointment scheduling in alignment with clinic capacity and clinician templates; oversees resolution of patient access barriers, including referral, authorization, and eligibility issues.
• Recruits, trains, and supervises patient access staff; provides coaching, feedback, and performance evaluations; ensures adequate staffing coverage and cross-training across locations and functions; promotes a culture of service excellence, teamwork, and accountability; develops and monitors productivity, quality, and service standards; identifies process improvement opportunities to enhance patient experience and operational efficiency.
• Monitors patient access accuracy, including insurance data entry, authorizations, and copay collection; collaborates with billing and revenue cycle teams to reduce registration and eligibility denials; tracks and reports metrics such as wait times, no-show rates, registration accuracy, and POS collections.
• Oversight of centralized patient scheduling call center; coordinates staffing levels and work assignments to align with call demand and operational needs; ensures accuracy of appointment data in scheduling systems; monitors call volumes, abandonment rates, wait times, and other service metrics to ensure service level targets are achieved.
• Addresses and resolves escalated patient and staff issues with professionalism and empathy to ensure a constructive solution is reached.
• Oversight of complex insurance cases including eligibility denials; ensures information is appropriately communicated to all applicable stakeholders; assists staff in resolving challenges with payers.
• Serves as liaison between clinical departments, revenue cycle, and administrative functions to promote coordinated care and information flow; works closely with clinic leadership to manage scheduling templates, provider availability, and patient throughput; responds to patient inquiries and resolves escalated access issues professionally and promptly.
• Oversees preparation and submission of operational, financial, and compliance reports; ensures data integrity and adherence to reporting requirements; develops and implements reporting processes to monitor key performance indicators and identify areas for improvement; analyzes trends and variance, providing leadership with actionable insights through regular reporting cycles.
• Monitors operating budgets for assigned areas; allocates staff and material resources to meet operational goals and patient care needs effectively; reviews budget performance, identifies variances, and implements corrective actions; ensures prudent financial stewardship aligned with departmental objectives.
• Monitors emerging regulatory and payer trends that affect patient access; ensures policies, procedures, and staff practices reflect current federal, state, and local regulatory requirements; collaborates with compliance, quality, and clinical leadership to implement operational adjustments in response to new regulations or accreditation standards.
• Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Competitive Salary & Benefits: UNMMG provides a competitive salary along with a comprehensive benefits package.
• Insurance Coverage: Includes medical, dental, vision, and life insurance.
• Additional Perks: Offers tuition reimbursement, generous paid time off, and a 403b retirement plan for eligible employees.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Industry: Hospitals
• Education Level: High school or GED
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees