Supervisor Patient Access

In 2020, united in a fierce commitment to deliver the highest quality care and exceptional patient experience, Virginia Mason and CHI Franciscan Health came together as natural partners to build a new health system centered around the patient: Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. Our combined system builds upon the scale and expertise of our nearly 300 sites of care, including 11 hospitals and nearly 5,000 physicians and providers. Together, we are empowered to make an even greater impact on the health and well-being of our communities.      

CHI Franciscan and Virginia Mason are now united to build the future of patient-centered care across the Pacific Northwest. That means a seamlessly connected system offering quality care close to home. From basic health needs to the most complex, highly specialized care, our patients can count on us to meet their needs with convenient access to the region’s most prestigious experts and innovative treatments and technologies.  

Job Summary:

This job is responsible for supervising the daily operations of the assigned patient access staff in accordance with established policies, procedures, standards and regulatory requirements. An incumbent monitors accuracy, volume and staff productivity to assure compliance with internal standards, regulatory requirements and that work is conducted in a cost-effective and efficient manner. Work is performed behind-the-scenes, interacting with stakeholders on the phone.
Work includes: 1) supervising assigned staff (e.g. training, scheduling and evaluating) engaged in patient access activities in accordance with established operating standards; 2) serving as liaison with various internal departments in coordinating and/or resolving issues within scope of position; 3) assuring that all activities are timely and accurately documented; 4) implementing, within scope of position, solutions to resolve operational issues and/or errors and assuring appropriate escalation of issues to higher level management; and 5) assisting in identifying opportunities to streamline current operations and to implement approved process changes.
Work is performed in accordance with established standards/guidelines and requires knowledge of applicable regulatory requirements sufficient to facilitate compliant operations and to exercise good judgment in addressing operational issues. Also requires expertise in supervising and evaluating the work of support staff. An incumbent works with higher level management on major operational or business decisions prior to implementation. 

Essential Job Duties: 

Operations

• Supervises daily operations of assigned staff to assure that all services/activities are conducted in a timely and cost-effective manner and in accordance with professional standards, internal policies/standards/procedures and/or applicable regulatory requirements.
• Implements approved quality control/quality assurance and productivity standards; assures that applicable standards, systems and procedures are understood and followed; serves as a liaison between the Patient Access department and clinics to facilitate policy/procedural compliance and assist in maintaining business continuity.
• Monitors and audits related documentation to maintain conformance with established standards relating to timeliness, and accuracy; prepares periodic productivity reports for review of higher-level authority.
• Researches inquiries, complaints and requests by internal/external customers and takes appropriate steps, within scope of position, to resolve errors or issues; communicates resolution to all interested parties.
• Monitors annual budget to control overtime and facilitate compliance; keeps higher level management informed of all issues with potential for budgetary impact.
• Participates in the development of, and implements, new/revised guidelines, procedures, processes and/or training materials in support of assigned function/work unit to facilitate regulatory compliance; assures that employees understand and apply internal guidelines appropriately; prepares internal communications (re. training, process changes, assessments, etc.) for department staff.

Staff Supervision and Development

• Schedules, supervises, audits and evaluates the work of assigned and/or clinic staff engaged in financial counseling, insurance verification, referrals, training and other administrative support activities in accordance with established procedures; assists in identifying adequate staffing levels for appropriate coverage to meet budgetary and operational objectives; assures that staff are qualified and properly trained to perform assigned job duties.
• Interviews job candidates and participates in employment and other personnel decisions in accordance with established guidelines; orients employees and holds regular staff meetings to keep employees appraised of all matters relevant to successful job performance; approves timecards; communicates performance standards and evaluates employee performance.
• Counsels/mentors staff, providing constructive feedback and recognizing results achieved; participates in performance management activities and resolves technical issues referred by subordinates as beyond their scope of authority.

Performance Improvement

• Monitors and assesses current operations/services to identify opportunities and provide recommendations to stakeholders for performance/process improvements initiatives; implements approved changes and ensures that staff receive the necessary on-the-job training to enhance their understanding of performance improvement initiatives.
• Maintains and coordinates quality control indicators in collaboration with higher level Patient Access management to facilitate achievement of quality standards; recommends process improvement plans for areas of deficiency.

Business Planning

• Participates in department business planning activities, including the development/implementation of work unit objectives/projects to address current and future needs to support achievement of business objectives.
• Develops assessments of current state and assists in making recommendation for access improvements in clinics.

Performs related duties as required.

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline, and a minimum of one year of related work experience that would demonstrate attainment of the requisite job knowledge/abilities; OR
• Three years of work experience in the discipline that would demonstrate attainment of the requisite job knowledge/abilities, OR
  Master’s degree in a related discipline

License/Certification:

• Current certification from the National Association of Healthcare Access Management (NAHAM) as a Certified Healthcare Access Associate (CHAA) is strongly preferred.
• Current certification from the National Association of Healthcare Access Management (NAHAM) as a Certified Healthcare Access Manager (CHAM) is desirable.