Patient Access Assistant Director

POSITION SUMMARY

The Patient Access Director provides strategic and operational leadership for all patient access functions, including scheduling, pre-registration, insurance verification, financial clearance, registration, and point-of-service collections. This role also oversees hospital reception and switchboard operations, ensuring a professional, courteous, and efficient first point of contact for patients, visitors, and callers.

The Director ensures compliance with regulatory, payer, and organizational standards while promoting operational excellence, staff engagement, and exceptional service delivery across all access points—hospital, clinic, sleep, lab, imaging, and front-desk operations.

• Direct all aspects of patient access operations, including scheduling, pre-registration, registration, insurance verification, authorizations, financial counseling, and front-desk/switchboard functions.
• Oversee the front-desk staff responsible for greeting visitors, assisting patients, managing hospital check-ins, and answering the main hospital phone line.
• Develop and implement departmental goals, performance standards, KPIs, and service expectations aligned with organizational objectives.
• Provide leadership and mentorship to support a high-performing team culture focused on teamwork, accountability, and continuous improvement. Ensure accurate data capture for clean claims, oversee financial clearance, maintain compliance with CMS and payer guidelines, and address denial trends.
• Lead implementation of access technology (Kiosks, Experian/Passport, etc.) and data dashboards.
• Oversee reception and call handling standards to ensure professional, compassionate service delivery.
• Develop and manage departmental budgets and analyze productivity and call volume to optimize staffing models.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Disclaimer:
The statements above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, or skills required. Additional duties may be assigned as needed to support the organization’s ongoing operations and mission.

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

• Minimum of 5+ years of progressive leadership in patient access, registration, or revenue cycle operations.

• Knowledge of insurance verification, pre-certification, payer requirements, and compliance standards (CMS, HIPAA, No Surprises Act).
• Working knowledge of CPT/HCPCS codes, ICD-10 coding, and medical necessity rules required; lab billing knowledge preferred.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and analytical skills.
• Proficiency in patient access systems (Meditech Expanse, Experian/Passport)

• Average Registration Time:
  Target: = 5 minutes for outpatient, = 7 minutes for surgical/complex encounters.
• Wait Time to Check-In:
  Target: 90% of patients checked in within 10 minutes of arrival.
• Percent of Patients Pre-Registered:
  Target: = 95% for scheduled services.
• Insurance Verification Rate:
  Target: = 99% completed before service.

• Registration Error Rate:
  Target: = 1.5% overall error rate (insurance, demographics, authorization, MSPQ, etc.).
• Medical Necessity Pass Rate:
  Target: = 98% for scheduled services.
• Missing/Incorrect Authorization Rate:
  Target: = 98% accuracy; less than 1% avoidable denials.
• Demographic Accuracy Score:
  Target: = 99% — validated through auditing or returned mail reduction.

• Point-of-Service (POS) Collections:
  Target:
  Achieve = 100% of monthly goals (customized by CFO).
• Eligibility-Related Denials:
  Target: less than 1% of total claims volume.
• Avoidable Write-Offs Due to Patient Access Errors:
  Target:
  Zero tolerance; identify and reduce year-over-year by = 20%.
• Estimate Delivery Rate:
  Target: = 95% estimates provided before service for applicable scheduled encounters.

• MSPQ Accuracy:
  Target: = 98% accuracy.
• Consent/Required Documentation…