Manager, Patient Access Operations & Central Scheduling - Catholic Health

Catholic Health is one of Long Island’s finest health and human services agencies. Our health system has over 16,000 employees, six acute care hospitals, three nursing homes, a home health service, hospice and a network of physician practices across the island.

At Catholic Health, our primary focus is the way we treat and serve our communities. We work collaboratively to provide compassionate care and utilize evidence based practice to improve outcomes – to every patient, every time.

We are committed to caring for Long Island. Be a part of our team of healthcare heroes and discover why Catholic Health was named Long Island's Top Workplace!

The Manager of Patient Access Operations / Central Scheduling will report to the System Director and is responsible for implementing and supporting the strategic vision for OP Radiology Centralized Scheduling and other enterprise initiatives.

The Manager of Patient Access Operations / Central Scheduling will provide leadership and oversight of key operational and financial decisions pertaining to enterprise scheduling, pre-registration, and authorization functions.  The Manager is responsible for cross-enterprise collaboration to improve overall operational effectiveness and department performance.  Functions that report to this position include schedulers and pre-registrars, in addition to other related functions as assigned.  The position will identify and monitor key performance indicators and develop policies and procedures that support continued improvement in enterprise scheduling and authorization. The Manager will work closely with radiology departments, patient access, hospital OR and surgical leaders, and the Financial Clearance Center to ensure patients receive timely access to care. 

DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Leadership

• Responsible for administrative functions that contribute to the management and execution of scheduling and pre-registration activities.
• Create, implement and standardize policies, procedures and workflows as it relates to departmental functions

• Ensure all scheduling policies and procedures remain current and relevant to the functions of the department.
• Lead efforts to expand enterprise scheduling and integrate workflows to incorporate authorization support.
• Ensure appropriate operational controls are in place to support the enhancements and are being adhered too. 

• Promote a culture of information sharing, collaboration and teamwork across departmental lines, to identify areas of improved efficiencies for the Health System.
• Ensure the scheduling staff promote service excellence by pre-registering in a customer friendly and timely manner, while ensuring integrity of information used to create accounts.

• Work with facilities across the organization to implement the schegistration model of combining Scheduling and Pre-registration as one combined function.
• Coordinate the integration activities between Scheduling, Patient Access and the Financial Clearance Center to ensure consistent patient experience and financial clearance of patients.
• Develop, implement, and oversee efficient and effective operational policies, processes, tools, and educational materials within all functional areas that will  report to the future state of Centralized Scheduling
• Identify potential process improvements throughout Centralized Scheduling functions, and design and implement changes as required.
• Ensure Centralized Scheduling employees comply with established policies, processes, and quality assurance programs.
• Act as a liaison between Centralized Scheduling, Financial Clearance Center, and hospital-based PAS functions for facilities and physician practices.
• Monitor and facilitate service level agreements (SLAs) between Centralized Scheduling operations and other related functions within both Revenue Cycle and Clinical operations
• Support the onsite Patient Access management transition by analyzing span-of-controls at the department level, providing recommendations that align with the future state Patient Access organizational structure, and supporting transition timelines and activities
• Lead Patient Access denial improvement activities and support development of initiative-specific denial mitigation plans
• Perform any special assignments as requested

People

• Create a work environment for employees through team building, coaching, constructive feedback, work delegation, personal example and goal setting that encourages creativity, open dialogue on work issues, professional growth, and a consistent, high level of performance
• Responsible for the coordination of staffing needs to support scheduling and pre-registration in compliance with CHSLI policies and procedures.
• Lead and coordinate staff retention efforts, training and management of policies and procedures.
• Manage and oversee Centralized Scheduling staff performance through performance planning, coaching and performance appraisals.
• Provides leadership for management team to include hiring decisions, setting performance expectations, provide feedback, coaching and development, and performance appraisals.
• Motivate Scheduling team to achieve the highest level of customer satisfaction and meet the organizational goals for customer service and financial performance.
• Conduct annual performance appraisals in accordance with established Health System policy.

Process

• Oversee that central scheduling activities are complete and efficient to enhance patient throughput across the system, including scheduling and pre-registration compliance rates.
• Establish best practice workflows to integrate radiology scheduling and initial authorization submission.
• Oversee Epic work queue management; ensuring cases are being assigned as expected, identifying potential systemic areas of improvement, prioritizing risks and escalating issues accordingly.
• Meet with FCC and Patient Access to verify that all normal business operations are occurring timely, accurately, and the outcome is effective and aligned to maximize operational and financial performance.
• Stay abreast of changes in Medicare, Medicaid and third-party payer reimbursement requirements.

• Create, implement and monitor the application of common revenue cycle standards and guidelines across central scheduling in order to minimize revenue leakage and maximize cash flow

• Maintain knowledge of The Joint Commission and state/federal regulations, laws and guidelines that impact Financial Clearance functions and Patient Access Services.

Performance Monitoring

• Identify, implement and monitor compliance, as they pertain to key business functions of scheduling, pre-registration, and authorization.
• Ensure that key performance metrics are met on a daily basis.
• Develop and implement KPIs for Centralized Scheduling functions; ensure the implementation of action plans where performance is not meeting expectations; review KPI expectations with corporate/local leadership annually and adjust appropriately; recognize areas of excellence as appropriate
• Communicate and present key performance indicators and process improvement opportunities to the Assistant Vice President of Patient Access, in coordination with communications to hospital leadership.
• Monitor performance to ensure that all accounts contain all patient demographic, financial and clinical information necessary to ensure subsequent clinical and financial clearance.
• Manage the department dashboard and design action plans as issues are identified within the unit.
• Ensure SLA inventory levels are maintained and issues are resolved.
• Work with the FCC leadership to establish monthly performance goals.  Ensure monthly goals are communicated to the Centralized Scheduling staff. 
• Ensure all annual performance appraisals are conducted in accordance with established Health System policy.
• Meet with staff to verify that all normal business operations are occurring timely, accurately, and the outcome is effective and aligned to maximize operational and financial performance.
• Direct the planning and the coordination of all scheduling functions, focusing on pre-registration data points that drive the financial clearance process. 

POSITION REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Healthcare or a related field preferred

Experience:

Minimum of 7 years of experience in revenue cycle management or Patient Access Services, with at least 5 years of leadership experience.

Skills:

• Core CHS Behaviors:  The following behaviors have been identified as critical to all leadership roles at CHS.

• Collaboration & Teamwork:  works cooperatively & collaboratively with others toward the accomplishment of shared goals.

• • Valuing Diversity:  recognizing and embracing the unique talents and contributions of others.
  • Service Orientation: desire to serve and focus one’s efforts on discovering and meeting the needs of internal and external customers.
  • Achieves Results:  reflects a drive to achieve and outperform.  Continuously looking for improvements.  Accepts responsibility for actions and results.
  • Organizational Alignment:  ability to align people, processes and organizational structure with CHS’s strategic direction.
  • Developing Others: views people, their knowledge and capabilities as assets and provides opportunities that allow employees to continuously learn and develop.
  • Communication:  practices attentive and active listening and can restate opinions of others; communicates messages in a way that has the desired effect.
  • Integrity:  conducts business with honesty and professional ethics.   Seeks to achieve results in the best interest of the organization.  Models and reinforces ethical behavior in self and others.

Role-Specific Behaviors:  these additional behaviors are necessary in the role:

• • Relationship-building – able to develop and maintain relationships with a variety of types of positions and individuals at both the hospital and system level.
  • Motivation – able to motivate and mentor staff to perform at high levels of expertise and productivity.
  • Problem Solving – Analyzes interrelated elements of problems and works systematically to solve them, uses sound judgment to develop efficient and feasible resolutions to challenging issues.

Skills, Knowledge or Abilities critical to this role:

• Language Ability: High
• Math Ability:  Intermediate
• Reasoning Ability: Very High
• Computer Skills: High

Additional preferred qualifications include: Revenue Cycle operations, consulting and/or project management experience; experience with key functions of standardization and centralization; Revenue Cycle leadership in a multi-hospital and/or employed physician environment; previous experience using Epic.

This range serves as a good faith estimate and actual pay will encompass a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience. The salary range or rate listed does not include any bonuses/incentive, or other forms of compensation that may be applicable to this job and it does not include the value of benefits.

At Catholic Health, we believe in a people-first approach. In addition to the estimated base pay provided, Catholic Health offers generous benefits packages, generous tuition assistance, a defined benefit pension plan, and a culture that supports professional and educational growth.