Senior Practice Manager - Primary Care (Medical Center)

At Houston Methodist, the Senior Practice Manager position is responsible for independently managing and/or coordinating complex delivery of care within a large, multi-physician primary care, specialty, or multi-disciplinary practice. This position supervises the functions related to front desk, business transactions, clinical support services, compliance, safety and customer service and is responsible for maximizing revenue through efficient, effective and compliant procedure. The Senior Practice Manager position works collaboratively with clinic medical staff and with system-wide administrative and medical staff as needed. This position is committed to creating a culture of compassion, integrity, innovating thinking and leadership excellence.
The manager position responsibilities include managing the daily work activities of the work unit/department staff, ensuring quality, productivity, functional excellence and efficiency while assisting management in accomplishing strategic and operational objectives. In addition, this position provides guidance to staff and is responsible for staffing, budget compliance, contributing to staffing decisions such as hiring and terminating employment, coaching and counseling employees on work related performance, and assisting in the development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure a safe and effective work environment. This position also implements training, monitoring and operations initiatives that secure compliance with ethical and legal business practices and accreditation/regulatory/ government regulations.

FLSA STATUS
Exempt

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• High School diploma or equivalent education (examples include: GED, verification of homeschool equivalency, partial or full completion of post-secondary education, etc.)

EXPERIENCE

• Five years of clinical healthcare experience, of which at least two years must have been in a managerial role; may consider HM employee with four years of clinical experience in relevant field with HM performance that demonstrates progressive leadership abilities

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
Preferred

• Practice Management Certification

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations
• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security
• Ability to effectively communicate through a variety of channels with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles; engages the recipient(s) and helps them understand and retain the message
• Demonstrates the ability to interact with others in a way that gives them confidence in one’s intentions and those of the organization
• Ability to use appropriate interpersonal styles and techniques to gain acceptance of ideas or plans; modifying one’s own behavior to accommodate tasks, situations and individuals involved
• Demonstrates leadership qualities and critical thinking through self-direction initiative and effective interpersonal skills and oral/written communication skills
• Ability to identify and understand issues, problems and opportunities, comparing data from different sources to draw conclusions; using effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions; taking action that is consistent with available facts, constraints and probable consequences
• Ability to work effectively in a fast paced environment
• Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability in the workplace
• Exceptional management skills to assess and make staffing changes depending on provider’s schedule and patient volumes to maximize the provider’s schedule
• Ability to problem solve in high stress environment with exceptional communication skills

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Performs management responsibilities of selection, scheduling, supervision, retention, and evaluation of employees in the department. Provides development and mentoring of staff. Meets or exceeds threshold goal for department turnover. Develops direct reports to perform these same functions.
• Provides fair and consistent leadership and communication to maintain a competent and engaged employee group by conducting regular department meetings to review policies and procedures and operational matters, rounding on all employees, completing performance appraisals, conducting new hire feedback sessions, coaching/corrective counseling, and providing recognition/commendations to achieve desired outcomes. Provides timely guidance and feedback to help others strengthen specific knowledge/skill areas needed to accomplish a task or solve a problem.
• Facilitates and promotes effective team dynamics and teambuilding strategies within and between departments; participates and/or leads and facilitates department process improvements as needed.
• Meets or exceeds threshold goal for department and/or system metrics on employee engagement indicators.
• Celebrates accomplishments, providing opportunities for individual growth and personal support. Responds to employee concerns, demonstrating active listening, requesting and acknowledging feedback, making equitable decisions, providing rationale when appropriate and taking appropriate action, ensuring that requests are handled in a swift manner to avoid interruption of services (such as patient flow or department/external communication). Assists staff with stress management practices.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Plans and organizes day-to-day department operations, schedule and activities of the practice for staff, physicians, and associated physician extenders. Sets priorities and functional standards, giving direction to staff as necessary to ensure the best possible delivery of service and high customer/patient satisfaction.
• Drives department service standards and activities to impact department and/or system score for patient/customer-based satisfaction, through role modeling and fostering accountability. Serves and actively participates on various entity committees as a voice for the department.
• Serves as role model to staff, reinforcing principles of service orientation and ensuring that the focus is always on improving patient care and/or service. First-line contact for physicians and staff needing information or support regarding the daily operations of the practice. Effectively resolves patient satisfaction concerns, complaints or conflict with patients, families, physicians and other interprofessional health care team members, taking appropriate action and channeling concerns according to appropriate procedures.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Ensures a safe and effective working environment; monitors and/or revises the department safety plan and/or any specific accreditation/regulatory required safety guidelines, including infection control principles. Monitors and confirms staff maintain their required credentials that demonstrate competency per accrediting agency or department guidelines as applicable.
• Uses and optimizes information systems to enhance operations; supports entity-specific performance improvement and data management/analysis functions.
• Employs a proactive approach in the optimization of safe outcomes by monitoring and improving the department workflow, using peer-to-peer accountability, reporting near misses and/or adverse events immediately and identifying solutions via collaboration. Adopts lean principles in driving process improvements. Role models situational awareness, using teachable moments to improve safety.
• Monitors self and employee compliance with policies, procedures, and System HR Standards of Practice and performs associated actions upon non-compliance (i.e., focal point review requirements, disaster plan, inservices, influenza immunization, wage and hour, standard hours, timely termination submission, timely timecard approval, etc.).
• Monitors and analyzes the performance of the practice through verification and analysis of customer satisfaction systems, financial reports, and trends. Formulates an action plan to correct deviations to business plan and budget.
• Monitors key clinical operational indicators including quality metrics such as in basket utilization, clinical close rate, etc. Assesses current performance and develops action plans to achieve optimal performance.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Assists in the development of department budget and ensures that the department operates in a cost effective manner. Manages/audits department expenses within approved budget parameters, ensuring that the department meets the budgeted/flex revenue and/or expense targets on a monthly and annual basis. Develops staffing plans and schedules to meet department/patient care needs that reflect understanding of the importance of cost-effectiveness.
• Implements department strategies to achieve financial target and staffing needs, developing others to do the same, through optimizing productivity, supply/resource efficiency, minimizing incidental overtime and overtime percentage, and other areas according to department specifications.
• Utilizes monitoring and trending data to provide appropriate cost-effective patient care which is in concert with the philosophy of the Houston Methodist. Assures encounters are reviewed, claims created and manages workflow dashboards.
• Monitors charge capture patient encounters and co-payment collections to ensure that appropriate procedures are adhered to and that accurate information is being collected and submitted. Manages petty cash batches and deposits. Reconciles cash daily and keeps appropriate documentation and/or log.
• Assures accurate timekeeping and payroll for all department employees. Identifies and reduces incidental overtime. Manages all reporting and record-keeping functions within their span of control.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Identifies and implements innovative solutions for practice or workflow changes to improve department operations or other department-specific measures by leading unit projects and/or other department/system directed shared governance activities. Supports change initiatives, maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work responsibilities or environment; adjusts effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements or cultures.
• Proactively evaluates processes; recommends and implements action plan(s) for change; follows through to ensure effective, sustainable change. Participates in the development and implementation of new procedures and the review and revision of existing procedures.
• Identifies opportunities and takes action to build strategic relationships between one’s area and other areas, teams, departments, and units to achieve business goals.
• Seeks opportunities to identify developmental needs of self and staff and takes appropriate action. Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management. Completes and updates the My Development plan on an on-going basis. Conducts conversations with staff on their development.
• Manages and completes projects, as assigned, that builds on Houston Methodist’s mission and business plan and develops strategic planning & business planning processes and activities related to the long-term tactics and strategies.
• Contributes to the development of annual goals and objectives for the clinic/department. Assists staff in achieving these goals via training and appropriate resources.

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform: No
• Scrubs: Yes
• Business professional: Yes
• Other (department approved): No

ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. Disaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.

• On Call* Yes

TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area Yes

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• High School diploma or equivalent education (examples include: GED, verification of homeschool equivalency, partial or full completion of post-secondary education, etc.)

EXPERIENCE

• Five years of clinical healthcare experience, of which at least two years must have been in a managerial role; may consider HM employee with four years of clinical experience in relevant field with HM performance that demonstrates progressive leadership abilities

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
Preferred

• Practice Management Certification