Director of Patient Accounting & Patient Access

Position Summary

Provides strategic and operational leadership for the District’s Patient Access and Patient Accounting functions, with responsibility for the revenue cycle from patient registration through final account resolution. Oversees admissions/registration, scheduling and access workflows, insurance verification and authorization, financial clearance, point-of-service collections, billing, accounts receivable, payer follow-up, denial prevention and management, cash posting, collections, and related financial operations. Establishes performance standards and key metrics to promote accurate billing, timely reimbursement, regulatory compliance, operational efficiency, and a positive patient experience. Partners with Finance, clinical departments, Case Management, Health Information Management, Information Services, and other leaders to improve revenue cycle performance. 

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for Patient Access and Patient Accounting, including registration/admissions, scheduling, insurance verification and authorization, financial clearance, billing, accounts receivable, payer follow-up, denial management, cash posting, collections, and PBX operations as assigned.
• Lead, develop, and evaluate department leaders and staff; oversee staffing, training, performance management, productivity, employee relations, and succession planning.
• Establish department goals, policies, procedures, service standards, internal controls, and performance expectations aligned with District and revenue cycle objectives.
• Develop and monitor key performance indicators, including registration accuracy, authorization performance, point-of-service collections, clean claims, denial trends, accounts receivable days, aging, cash collections, productivity, and patient experience.
• Analyze revenue cycle data to identify errors, bottlenecks, payer issues, denials, revenue leakage, and operational inefficiencies and implement corrective actions.
• Ensure timely and accurate billing, follow-up, payment posting, account resolution, write-offs, collections, and financial reporting consistent with District policies and applicable requirements.
• Oversee front-end revenue cycle controls to support accurate demographic and insurance capture, medical necessity, payer requirements, authorizations, financial clearance, and collection of patient financial responsibility.
• Partner with Finance, clinical leadership, Case Management, Health Information Management, Information Services, and other departments to improve patient flow, account accuracy, reimbursement, and overall revenue cycle performance.
• Provide leadership for Patient Access and Patient Accounting systems, workflows, testing, implementation, issue resolution, and end-user training, including Meditech/Expanse and other revenue cycle applications.
• Develop and maintain training, competency, quality-audit, and continuous improvement processes across assigned departments.
• Oversee departmental budgets, staffing resources, vendor relationships, contracts, and operational needs.
• Ensure compliance with HIPAA, applicable CMS and payer requirements, government program requirements, District policies, and other federal and state regulations.
• Resolve escalated patient, physician, payer, and departmental concerns and promote professional, patient-centered service.
• Prepare and present reports to executive leadership regarding financial and operational performance, risks, trends, improvement initiatives, and resource needs; perform other duties as assigned.
• Other duties as assigned. 

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, business administration, finance, health information management, or a related field required.
• Minimum five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in hospital revenue cycle operations, including Patient Access, Patient Accounting, or related front- and back-end revenue cycle functions.
• Minimum three (3) years of leadership experience with responsibility for staff, operations, performance management, and process improvement; director-level or multi-functional leadership experience preferred.
• Demonstrated experience with patient registration, insurance verification and eligibility, authorizations, billing, accounts receivable, payer follow-up, denial prevention/management, collections, and patient financial processes.
• Experience analyzing revenue cycle performance, including accounts receivable, denial trends, reimbursement, productivity, and other operational and financial performance measures.
• Experience leading system implementations, workflow redesign, or major revenue cycle improvement initiatives preferred.
• CHAM, CHAA, CRCR, or other relevant healthcare revenue cycle certification preferred. 

Job Type: Full-time, Day Shift

Pay: $176K-$205K

All job offers are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, physical exam, drug test, and verification of education qualifications and credentials.  

San Benito Health Care District is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with applicable law, we prohibit discrimination and harassment against employees, applicants for employment, individuals providing services in the workplace pursuant to a contract, and volunteers based on their actual or perceived: race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status (including registered domestic partnership status), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), gender (including gender identity and expression), age (40 and over), sexual orientation, status, military and veteran status and any other consideration protected by federal, state or local law (sometimes referred to, collectively, as “protected characteristics”).