Director-Patient Access (Full-Time)

Description

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for patient access functions, including the appointment center/call center, centralized scheduling, registration, referral coordination, insurance verification support, and related workflows to improve patient experience and access to care.
• Lead managers and teams across patient access operations, establishing clear expectations, service standards, accountability, staff development plans, and succession strategies.
• Partner with physicians, operational leaders, and cross-functional teams to define expectations, improve coordination, and resolve operational challenges while aligning access functions with clinic operations.
• Drive system-wide patient access optimization efforts by identifying barriers, reducing variation, standardizing workflows, and implementing process improvements to enhance scheduling efficiency, registration accuracy, referral conversion, patient throughput, and service delivery.
• Oversee contact center operations, including staffing models, workforce planning, scheduling coverage, call routing, service levels, abandonment rates, quality monitoring, escalation processes, and patient-centered communication standards.
• Monitor and improve performance through data analysis, dashboards, and metrics related to access, productivity, service levels, scheduling effectiveness, patient experience, registration quality, and front-end revenue cycle outcomes.
• Use data insights to identify trends, bottlenecks, and capacity constraints; develop and execute action plans to improve operational and organizational performance.
• Serve as the business owner for access-related software solutions.
• Develop and oversee audit and quality review processes.
• Stay current on payer policy changes impacting patient registration and front-end processes.
• Partner with compliance teams on patient consent and required disclosures.
• Collaborate with clinic leadership and providers to optimize templates, scheduling protocols, referral workflows, and patient navigation processes.
• Strengthen front-end revenue cycle outcomes by improving registration accuracy, insurance data integrity, and point-of-service workflows.
• Develop, implement, and maintain policies, procedures, and standard work that promote compliance, consistency, and operational efficiency.
• Lead change management initiatives related to workflows, technologies, digital tools, and operational redesign.
• Collaborate with IT, digital, and analytics teams to enhance access technology, reporting, and self-service capabilities.
• Manage budgets, productivity expectations, resource allocation, and vendor relationships to support operational goals.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, privacy, payer, and organizational requirements.
• Foster a culture of service excellence, continuous improvement, collaboration, and accountability.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Strategic leadership and operational execution
• Patient-centered service excellence
• Contact center operations and workforce management
• Process improvement and access optimization
• Data-driven decision-making and performance management
• Cross-functional collaboration and relationship building
• Financial and revenue cycle acumen
• Change management and implementation
• Communication, coaching, and team development
• Strong problem-solving and prioritization skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, or related field required
• Master’s degree preferred

• Minimum 7 years of progressive leadership experience in patient access, ambulatory operations, revenue cycle, contact center operations, or related healthcare operations
• Minimum 3 years of director-level leadership experience in multi-site or complex environments preferred
• Demonstrated experience overseeing scheduling, registration, referral coordination, or contact center operations required
• Strong knowledge of patient access workflows, clinic operations, performance management, and front-end revenue cycle processes
• Proven experience using data and metrics to improve service levels, quality, productivity, and patient experience
• Experience leading cross-functional process improvement and change initiatives

• One of the best 401(k) programs in central Iowa, including employer match and profit sharing
• Employee incentives to share in the Clinic’s success
• Generous PTO accruals and paid holidays
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Quarterly volunteer opportunities through a variety of local nonprofits
• Training and development programs
• Opportunities to have fun with your colleagues, including TIC night at the Iowa Cubs, employee appreciation tailgate party, Adventureland day, State Fair tickets, annual holiday party, drive-in movie night… we could go on and on
• Monthly departmental celebrations, jeans days, and clinic-wide competitions
• Employee rewards and recognition program
• Health and wellness program with up to $350/year in incentives
• Employee feedback surveys
• All employee meetings, team huddles, and transparent communication.