CONTEXT OF THE JOB:

The Senior Manager, Patient Access provides strategic oversight and operational leadership for patient access services across UD Health clinics including Speech Language-Hearing Clinic, the Nurse Managed Primary Care Center, UD Nutrition Clinic with Diabetic Education, Health Coaching and the Delaware Physical Therapy Clinic, which provides care to over 40,000 patient visits a year from the surrounding community and region.  In addition, this role will partner with leaders across UD Health to oversee and support all patient access entities. Reporting to the Chief Clinical Operations Officer, this role serves as a key member of the UD Health leadership team, ensuring that front-end operations—such as registration, scheduling, insurance verification, pre-certification, and financial counseling—are efficient, compliant, and aligned with UD Health’s mission to deliver an exceptional patient experience.

This position leads Patient Access Managers and serves as the first point of contact for operational and service-related issues, providing guidance, training, and support to ensure consistency and excellence across all UD Health sites. The Senior Manager will work with the Patient Access Managers during the rollout and early operational phases of new clinics, working with the Strategic Operations Lead overseeing patient access planning and execution for new site openings. This includes supporting upcoming initiatives such as the launch of Southern Delaware clinic sites and the establishment of MRI services as part of UD Health’s next phase of growth. Acting as a project manager for patient access implementation, the Senior Manager collaborates closely with clinical, administrative, and revenue cycle teams to streamline workflows, improve patient flow, and optimize overall operational performance.

UD Health Commitment to Excellence and Patient Experience:

At UD Health, we are dedicated to fostering an environment where every patient, visitor, and team member experiences compassionate, respectful, and high-quality care. These core values guide how we work together and serve our community, supporting UD Health’s mission to advance health and well-being through exceptional care, education, and innovation.

• Service: Anticipates and responds proactively to the needs of patients and colleagues, delivering courteous, timely, and effective support.
• Professionalism: Demonstrates accountability, dependability, and ethical conduct while striving for continuous growth and improvement.
• Innovation: Identifies and implements creative solutions that enhance care quality, efficiency, and patient experience.
• Respect: Fosters trust, inclusion, and collaboration through empathy, active listening, and respectful communication.
• Integrity: Upholds University policies and ethical standards, maintaining honesty, fairness, and confidentiality.
• Teamwork: Promotes collaboration and positivity by sharing ideas, supporting colleagues, and contributing to collective success.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide strategic leadership and training, and mentorship to managers, supervisors, and frontline staff; support workforce development, succession planning, and performance management.
• Overseeing the Patient Access Managers of UD Health.
• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and payer regulations, as well as University and UD Health Clinics policies and procedures.
• Working with the Strategic Operations Lead to monitor and analyze key performance indicators (e.g., patient wait times, point-of-service collections, denial trends, staff productivity, patient satisfaction) to identify opportunities for operational improvement and enhance patient experience.
• Develop and implement standardized processes, policies, and training programs to promote consistency, efficiency, and excellence across all clinic locations.
• Partner with revenue cycle leadership to optimize front-end processes and ensure alignment with downstream billing and collections.
• Collaborate with clinical and operational leaders to promote efficient patient flow and ensure an exceptional patient experience.
• Manage departmental budgets, staffing plans, and resource allocation to ensure operational effectiveness and fiscal responsibility.
• Assist the Chief Clinical Operations Officer (COO) in launching Southern Delaware and other clinics by providing strategic insight, planning assistance, and collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to ensure successful implementation and operations.
• Serve as Patient Access Manager for Southern Delaware Call Center and Access Operations, as well as providie coverage for other clinic sites during manager absences, ensuring seamless continuity of patient access services.
• Manage front-end registration and call center operations for UD Health Clinics, including operational, financial, and human resource management functions.
• Supervise and coordinate coverage for Patient Service Representatives and Scheduling Coordinators to ensure adequate staffing and workflow continuity.
• Ensure compliance and accuracy in daily registration and scheduling operations, adhering to departmental, University, and regulatory standards.
• Oversee timely and accurate completion of patient registrations, provider schedules, and appointment bookings.
• Collaborate with internal and external partners to ensure compliance with financial, operational, and payer requirements.
• Travel regularly to assigned facilities to conduct site assessments, support teams, implement initiatives, and provide visible leadership presence.
• Demonstrate a strong commitment to service excellence, delivering compassionate, respectful, and high-quality service to patients, visitors, business partners, and colleagues. Strive to exceed expectations to foster patient loyalty and trust.
• Anticipate and proactively address customer needs and concerns, seeking feedback and continuously improving service delivery.
• Provide timely and effective responses to internal and external customer requests, modeling professionalism and effective communication.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, or related field and six years of progressive leadership experience in patient access, revenue cycle, or healthcare operations or equivalent combination of education and experience. Master’s degree preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing multi-site operations strongly preferred.
• Experience in process improvement, change management, and staff development.
• Strong knowledge of healthcare reimbursement, registration, scheduling, and authorization processes.
• Demonstrated knowledge of various insurance coverages.
• Highly effective verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills; able to convey procedures and information clearly to staff, colleagues, patients, and visitors.
• Ability to establish and maintain courteous, professional relationships and demonstrate sensitivity to customer needs.
• Strong problem-solving and resourcefulness when responding to inquiries or resolving issues.
• Proven ability to establish priorities, coordinate work activities, and meet deadlines.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation required; ability to travel 25–40% to satellite locations, partner facilities, and regional offices.
• Travel may include overnight stays and occasional extended hours based on operational needs.