Director of Admissions -Senior Living

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Cantata Adult Life Services, formerly known as The British Home, is a nonprofit, mission-driven community with over 100 years of experience, offering a full continuum of care on a beautiful 10-acre campus in Brookfield, Illinois. We are seeking strong, compassionate leaders to join our team and help us continue enriching the lives of older adults through exceptional care and a vibrant community.

Job Summary:  

The Director of Admissions is responsible for leading census development, admissions, and care transitions across Cantata Adult Life Services’ continuum of care, including Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Support, Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, and other supportive services.

The Director leads and supports campus admissions teams, develops and maintains strong referral relationships, and ensures prospective residents are connected to the most appropriate Cantata service based on their clinical, functional, financial, and support needs. This position oversees the admission and transition process from initial referral through placement and supports seamless transitions between Cantata service lines as residents’ needs change.

The primary goal of this position is to drive census growth, strengthen referral pipelines, improve conversion and retention, and create a coordinated “One Cantata” approach to admissions and transitions across the continuum of care.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS/RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead and manage the Admissions Department and its personnel, including daily workflow, delegation of responsibilities, scheduling and coverage, training and development, performance management, coaching, accountability, and ongoing evaluation of departmental effectiveness. 
• Establish clear expectations, processes, and performance goals for the Admissions Department and ensure staff have the knowledge, resources, system access, and support necessary to effectively perform their responsibilities.
• Lead admissions, census development, and care transition activities across Cantata’s continuum of care, providing direction, support, and guidance to campus admissions teams and service-line leaders. 
• Promote a “One Cantata” approach by evaluating inquiries and referrals across the continuum and connecting prospective and current residents with the most appropriate service based on clinical, functional, financial, and support needs. 
• Lead and support transitions between Cantata service lines, coordinating with residents, families, clinical teams, and operational leaders to ensure continuity of care, appropriate placement, and resident retention within the Cantata continuum. 
• Manage the admissions pipeline from initial inquiry through admission, including timely follow-up, clinical and financial qualification, required screenings, documentation, contracts, insurance verification/authorizations, and coordination of room or bed readiness. 
• Lead campus census and admissions discussions and monitor census, referrals, conversions, admissions, discharges, transfers, payer mix, pending prospects, and barriers to placement to identify opportunities for growth and improvement. 
• Partner Campus leadership to develop and execute census development, referral outreach, transition, and business development strategies across Cantata’s continuum of care. 
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with hospitals, physicians, ACOs, managed-care organizations, rehabilitation providers, senior living communities, community organizations, and other referral partners to increase appropriate referrals and census. 
• Serve as the primary admissions and transitions liaison among prospective/current residents and families, referral sources, hospitals, physicians, and Cantata departments to facilitate timely admissions and seamless transitions. 
• Coordinate with nursing, clinical, finance, social services, environmental services, and other departments to resolve barriers to admission or transition and ensure a positive resident experience. 
• Serve as an escalation point for complex admissions and transitions, including clinical or financial qualification concerns, high-priority referrals, placement challenges, and changes in level of care. 
• Maintain accurate census, prospect, admission, discharge, and transfer information in Matrix and other applicable systems and ensure required documentation is completed accurately and timely. 
• Maintain appropriate access and working knowledge of applicable referral and payer systems, including MyAbility, CHIRP, AIDIN, AIDA, NaviHealth, CarePort/Allscripts, WellSky, and other required platforms. 
• Maintain knowledge of Cantata’s services, clinical capabilities, acuity levels, payer sources, admission criteria, physician relationships, and regulatory requirements to effectively guide placement and transition decisions. 
• Oversee applicable Healthcare Center admission requirements, including background checks, OBRA/DON screenings, physician assignments, resident contracts, insurance authorizations, ACO requirements, and participation in the triple-check process. 
• Maintain compliance with HIPAA and applicable federal, state, and local requirements and ensure confidential resident and prospective resident information is appropriately protected. 
• Participate in Healthcare Center morning meetings and other campus census, clinical, operational, and leadership meetings as appropriate. 
• Maintain regular and punctual attendance and participate in required education, training, and professional development.

OTHER DUTIES:  

• During emergencies or natural disasters may be required to be on duty for the duration of the disaster.
• Additional duties, responsibilities, and activities to be completed as assigned.

Requirements:

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, Marketing, Social Services, Nursing, or a related field preferred; equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered. 
• Minimum of 3–5 years of admissions, census development, business development, care transitions, or healthcare operations experience, preferably within senior living, skilled nursing, rehabilitation, assisted living, or post-acute care. 
• Previous leadership or supervisory experience required, with demonstrated ability to manage, coach, develop, and hold team members accountable. 
• Demonstrated experience with census development, referral management, relationship building, and conversion of inquiries/referrals to admissions. 
• Strong understanding of the healthcare admissions and transition process, including clinical and financial qualification, payer sources, insurance verification/authorization, and coordination of care.

Why Join Cantata?

At Cantata Adult Life Services, you’ll have the opportunity to make an impact beyond a traditional admissions role. As the Director of Admissions & Care Transitions, you’ll play an important leadership role in growing our campus, strengthening our continuum of care, and helping residents and families navigate the right services as their needs change.

As part of the Cantata team, eligible employees can enjoy:

• Competitive Director-level compensation 
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) to support work-life balance 
• Paid holidays 
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance 
• Life insurance 
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability coverage 
• 401(k) retirement plan 
• Employee assistance and wellness resources 
• Professional development and continuing education opportunities 
• Leadership growth and advancement opportunities 
• Employee recognition and appreciation programs 
• A collaborative, campus-based leadership environment 
• The opportunity to work for a mission-driven nonprofit organization 
• A unique opportunity to lead admissions and transitions across a full continuum of senior services, rather than focusing on a single level of care 
• A highly visible leadership role with the opportunity to directly influence census growth, referral relationships, resident retention, and the resident and family experience 

More Than an Admissions Role

This position offers the opportunity to lead a team, build relationships, drive growth, and connect the full Cantata continuum. You’ll work closely with executive and campus leadership while developing relationships with hospitals, physicians, healthcare partners, residents, and families—all with the goal of helping older adults access the right care and services at the right time.

Pay will be base salary + commission