Director of Patient Access Services

Lead enterprise-wide patient access operations that support timely care access, strong revenue cycle performance, and a positive patient experience. As the Director of Patient Access Services, you will oversee admission, registration, pre-registration, insurance verification, financial counseling, and financial clearance functions across inpatient, outpatient, and emergency settings. This role provides leadership for a large, multi-site team and manages a $10M budget while partnering with Revenue Cycle, clinical operations, IT, Finance, Care Coordination, Managed Care, and other health system leaders to improve access, throughput, compliance, and financial outcomes. In this role, you will: Lead enterprise patient access operations across registration, admitting, pre-registration, insurance verification, financial counseling, and financial clearance. Develop and implement strategies, policies, staffing plans, and performance standards to improve access, clean claims, authorization accuracy, the patient experience, and preventable balance write-offs and adjustments. Advance digital front-door, automation, and technology initiatives that improve efficiency, accuracy, and operational performance. Monitor KPIs and translate data into actionable operational and financial improvements for executive leadership. Oversee daily operations, department budget, expense review, and monthly reporting for patient access functions. Ensure compliance with EMTALA, the No Surprises Act, CMS requirements, HIPAA, payer rules, and other patient access regulations. Partner with audit and compliance teams to mitigate risk, address findings, and strengthen internal controls. Recruit, mentor, and develop leaders and staff while fostering accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement. Collaborate with clinical departments, IT, Finance, Care Coordination, FPG, Transfer Center, and Managed Care teams to improve workflows and resolve access barriers. Serve as an executive leader for patient access transformation, surge planning, emergency preparedness, system capacity initiatives, and change management efforts. Qualifications Required Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, business, or a related field. 12 or more years of progressive experience in hospital-based patient access or revenue cycle operations. 7 or more years of leadership experience overseeing hospital patient access services, including large, multi-site teams. 3 or more years of experience leading projects that implement automation or technology enhancements within patient access areas. Deep understanding of state and federal regulations impacting patient access functions. Deep understanding of hospital billing, payer contracting, and reimbursement methodologies. Strong knowledge of Epic electronic health records, ADT functionality, and reporting. Extensive knowledge of delegated payment models and authorization requirements. Strong financial and analytical skills to manage budgets, forecasts, performance metrics, and operational outcomes. Ability to lead teams, drive performance improvement, manage change, and communicate effectively across clinical, financial, and operational partners. Preferred Master’s degree in healthcare administration, public health, business, or a related field. Certification through NAHAM, HFMA, or AAHAM is preferred. Lean Six Sigma or Project Management Professional certification is preferred. Salary Range: $144,400 to $341,800/annually #J-18808-Ljbffr UCLA Health