Facility: Wellstar MCG Health

Job Summary:

The Patient Access Services Director, in collaboration with physician, patient care and administrative leaders, provides leadership, direction and overall administrative management for all patient registration areas, emergency services and medical group departments for Wellstar MCG Health, Augusta and reports directly to the Assistant Vice President of Patient Access Services.The Director is a visible, collaborative leader developing highly effective internal and external relationships to advance quality and cost efficiency. This position plans, organizes and oversees personnel and activities associated with 24/7 patient access while deploying a “customer-centric” approach to patient access, enabling achievement of strategic and financial goals.

The Director is responsible for the daily operations of all PAS related functions and serves as the liaison between WellStar Enterprise Support (WES) and the facility. The Patient Access Director integrates the department's services with the hospital's primary functions, develops and implements policies and procedures that guide or support service, assesses and improves department performance, and ensures orientation and continuing education of departmental staff. As the facility-based leader, this person may recommend resources/space needed by the department and may participate in the selection of outside services. The Director interprets policies and procedures, recommends changes as appropriate, and provides relevant feedback to WES leadership. They serve as a key promoter of WellStar Health System, which strives to meet and exceed the needs of its customers.

Impact of this role in the organization: This role interacts extensively with physicians, the Patient Financial Services department, Social Work, Care Coordination Directors, Hospitals Administration and other internal departments and disciplines. Interfaces with external entities such as third-party payers, regulatory agencies, other health care institutions, vendors, patients and families will also occur on a regular basis. In each of interaction, the Patient Access Director must facilitate a collaborative patient access team that provides user-friendly services to patients, payers, physicians and other health care professionals. Builds relationships with (matrix) departments that set and achieve shared outcomes.

Constantly seek opportunities to link and coordinate with internal Wellstar Health System departments, services and staff to streamline the flow of patients into the system and be accountable to ensure all assigned access points operate in an efficient, compliant and high-quality manner ensuring WellStar Health System optimizes our patient's experience and captures reliable and accurate information in advance of and throughout the continuum of services received by patients.

Core Responsibilities and Essential Functions:

- Results-Oriented Leadership of Assigned Patient Access Service Area(s) a)Oversee assigned facility operations of Patient Access functions (e.g. pre-registration, benefit verification, pre-authorization, admission/registration, service pre-payment, etc.) to ensure daily operations are maintained according to the expectations and standards while in a manner compliant with regulatory requirements, Facility specific requirements and WellStar Health System Policies and Procedures.

b)Model AIDET guidelines in all interactions with the patient and ensure staff are adhering to the patient experience expectations.

c)Implement and promote excellent customer service

d)Serve as the primary liaison between the WES and the Facility

e)Maintain and promote good customer relations with facility-based leadership, physicians and physician office staff.

f)Review Patient Access performance to ensure timeliness, accuracy, compliance and standards fulfillment as defined by WES.

g)Inform the Executive Director and/or AVP of PAS and any key stakeholders of any significant issues in the Patient Access area (e.g., Pre- registration delays, pre-authorization backlogs, etc.)

h)Perform other duties as assigned

- Leadership of Daily Operations of Assigned Patient Access Service Area(s): a)Stay abreast of regulatory requirements and company compliance policies, ensuring timely staff education Inform staff of relevant changes and developments in payer requirements.

b)Ensure quality review measurements are in place and performed in accordance with policy or need based guidance.

c)Facilitate implementation and monitoring of standard master files, processes, reporting and education programs.

d)Follow Functional Standard Guidelines and Best Practice Suggestions.

e)Oversee management of Patient Access personnel, providing recommendations for hiring, promotion, salary adjustment and personnel action where appropriate,

f)Develop specific objectives, budgets, and performance standards for each area of responsibility,

g)Identify and implement process improvements to lower costs and improve services to facility customers.

h)Perform rounding to ensure staff are following Patient Experience Expectations

i)Develop goals and objectives for the Patient Access Services department, consistent with internal and external benchmarks, in support of WellStar Health System policy and goals, including quality outcomes and consistent application of standards and performance measures for all registration related functions performed by WellStar Health System departments

j)Maintain and review written policies, initiates change in or develop new policies, procedures and/or methods as needed to meet department and institutional objectives.

k)Work closely with the WellStar Connect team on the design and implementation of processes, procedures and programs to streamline workflow, improve staff productivity and enhance quality of data collection, while maximizing clinical and financial outcomes, patient satisfaction, physician satisfaction.

l)Engages staff in the development, monitoring and achievement of department goals and ensures the effective operations of the Patient Access Services department through program development, process improvement and coordination/integration of processes with other departments.

m)Facilitates intra-department coordination, standardization and outcome targets for key access processes including: scheduling, data collection, insurance verification, authorization, registration, patient estimation of service and financial liability, admitting and bed control (Note: bed control is applicable where the activity is a function of the facility specific PAS department responsibility only).

n)Coordinates with outpatient clinics and ancillary services, physician practices, referral hospitals, community and public agencies, and WellStar Health Systems bed control staff to streamline patient access procedures.

o)Works with executive leadership, clinical directors, and physicians to identify capacity issues that create barriers to patient flow into the WellStar Health System

p)Is knowledgeable and proficient in the administration and departmental compliance of State and Federal rules and regulations for assigned areas, and ensures that staff are properly trained and knowledgeable of these rules and regulations and that they carry out their duties with compliance to these rules and regulations, such as the Advanced Beneficiary Notification (ABN), Medicare as a Secondary Payer (MSP), Advanced Directives, Patient Bill of Rights, patient privacy, medical necessity, observation status and other regulatory guidelines.

q)Responsibility for compliance and performance of management related HR functions for the department which includes interviewing, hiring and orienting staff in collaboration with managers. Responsible for team building across departments.

r)Responsibility for compliance and performance of management completion of performance evaluations in a timely manner.

s)Accountable for time keeping for teams and for responsible for managing schedules/time and attendance.

t)Responsibility for the performance of management related functions such as meetings with direct reports and supporting individual developmental goals.

u)Implementing new or revised programs of the department, Facility or WES.

v)Ensure the effective Patient Intake (Including but not limited to: Patient Scheduling, Medical Necessity Review, and Medical Orders Management)

w)Where assigned, ensure Pre-Service Screening is being performed on all patients (Pre-Registration, Insurance Eligibility / Benefit Verification, Pre-Certification / Authorization, Patient Liability Estimation, Pre-Service Collections and Financial Counseling Referral)

Required Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree required

Master's degree preferred

Required Minimum License(s) and Certification(s):
Cert Healthcare Access Mgr 1.00 Required
Cert Healthcare Financial Prof 1.00 Required
Certified Revenue Cycle Rep 1.00 Required

Required Minimum Experience:

Minimum 7 years experience in managing hospital admissions, business office or related area. Proven performance improvement and change management experience.

Minimum 5 years of management experience.

Required Minimum Skills:

Strong interpersonal, analytical, problem solving and writing skills, with a “take charge” attitude.

Proficiency Must be comfortable interacting with department directors and administrators and able to perform a wide variety of tasks that require independent judgement, ingenuity, and initiative.

Effective communication skills (both written and verbal), attention to detail, self-directed and a positive attitude.

Effective problem solving and critical thinking skills.

Working knowledge of patient registration systems

Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite

Epic experience preferred