Zakim Practice Manager

Overview

Reporting to the Administrative Director, the Zakim Practice Manager is a mission-critical leader that provides oversight of daily operations of the Zakim Center’s clinic to manage patients’ and visitors’ first impressions and maximize both efficient patient care and satisfaction to oncology patients and their families. The Practice Manager assumes accountability for providing positive operational impacts and consistent effectiveness in the areas of clinical support staff performance, resource utilization, and patient experience. Additionally, the Practice Manager actively participates in all regulatory requirements, ensuring compliance with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s policy and procedures, quality improvements projects, and institute initiatives.

Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS, and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physician/researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides oversight of daily patient experience and clinic operations for the Zakim Center. Partners with the Clinic Medical Director and Administrative Director to implement strategic initiatives and quality improvement projects. Collaborates with clinical and administrative leaders to identify operational issues, recommend solutions, and support continuous improvement. Ensures clinic operations align with organizational goals, service standards, and patient care priorities.
• Managers day-to-day scheduling activities for Zakim services across the Longwood campus and regional locations, including monitoring daily reports, identifying gaps, and resolving issues within complex scheduling systems. Creates, edits, and modifies provider and nursing templates in Epic in response to leadership and clinician needs. Establishes and maintains best practices for scheduling across multiple departments and services to ensure compliance with Institute standards and support Zakim’s care model. Assists in developing documentation, referral pathways, and operational workflows for new service lines, and collaborates with research and Epic teams to support study participant scheduling, system updates, efficiency improvements, and adoption of new tools.
• Coordinates with the Disease Center Administrative Director to monitor provider template utilization and recommend improvements that maximize exam room use, room efficiency, and overall clinic flow. Oversees patient rooming, patient movement, and real-time throughput to ensure visits are safe, efficient, and patient-centered. Makes immediate operational adjustments as needed to minimize delays and maintain effective clinic flow. Ensures infection control practices are consistently followed in accordance with institutional standards and guidance from the infection control department.
• Manages patient feedback and complaints, including matters filed through Patient Family Relations, and works directly with staff, patients, and leadership to resolve concerns in a timely and professional manner. Implements corrective actions and process improvements to enhance the overall patient experience. Partners with clinicians, staff, and leadership to proactively identify potential service issues and address barriers to care. Promotes a responsive, respectful, and supportive environment for patients and families.
• Forecasts, develops, monitors, and evaluates the annual budget for the clinical floor, including performing variance analysis and implementing improvement plans as needed. Oversees the Zakim Center’s financial assistance program, including the tracking and administration of patient support funds. Manages clinic payment collection processes, including online payments, credit card processing, and care card usage. Collaborates closely with Patient Accounting to review, reconcile, and ensure the accuracy of charges, payments, and related financial records.
• Ensures ongoing compliance with organizational policies and procedures and applicable regulatory requirements, including HIPAA, Department of Public Health standards, CMS, and The Joint Commission. Serves as the clinic’s first point of contact for IT equipment and user-interface issues and supports troubleshooting and communication during technology outages to minimize disruption to patient care. Provides administrative support during medical emergencies and leads or coordinates staff and patients during emergency response events. Participates in contingency planning for weather-related or other unplanned disruptions and coordinates with Facilities on repairs, maintenance, and environment-of-care issues.
• Supervises staff. Hires, develops, and manages staff to achieve organizational goals. Sets clear expectations, delivers feedback, and monitors performance for quality, efficiency, and compliance with policies and procedures. Mentors staff, fosters career growth, and cultivates a positive and productive work environment.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Working knowledge of computers required. Previous experience with Epic electronic medical record system preferred.
• Strong and effective verbal and written communication, conflict resolution, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated excellent organizational, critical thinking, analytic, and decision-making skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work as an effective member of an interdisciplinary team.
• Demonstrated ability to establish rapport with patients and families from a diverse variety of cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds.
• Demonstrated flexibility and ability to set and change priorities and accepts additional responsibilities as situations require. Ability to respond positively to new approaches and changes in the work environment.

Minimum Job Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, or related field required. Master’s degree preferred.
• 5 years of progressively responsible ambulatory care management (or similar clinical care) experience required.
• Previous experience managing staff preferred.

License/Certification/Registration Required: None

Supervisory Responsibilities: Yes

• Directly supervises Practice Coordinator I, II, and Lead (4 FTE). May provide indirect or direct supervision of practitioner staff, including massage therapists and acupuncturists.

Patient Contact: Yes

• May interact with patients who are being seen for services in the Zakim Center.

At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, we work every day to create an innovative, caring, and inclusive environment where every patient, family, and staff member feels they belong. As relentless as we are in our mission to reduce the burden of cancer for all, we are committed to having faculty and staff who offer multifaceted experiences. Cancer knows no boundaries and when it comes to hiring the most dedicated and compassionate professionals, neither do we. If working in this kind of organization inspires you, we encourage you to apply.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is an equal opportunity employer and affirms the right of every qualified applicant to receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, ancestry, military service, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.

Pay Transparency Statement

The hiring range is based on market pay structures, with individual salaries determined by factors such as business needs, market conditions, internal equity, and based on the candidate’s relevant experience, skills and qualifications.

For union positions, the pay range is determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).