Executive Director, Patient Access Center

Job Title: Executive Director, Patient Access Center

Hiring Department: Dell Medical School

Location: AUSTIN, TX

Position Duration: Expected to Continue

Weekly Scheduled Hours: 40

FLSA Status: Exempt from FLSA

Earliest Start Date: Immediately

PURPOSE

The Executive Director, Patient Access Center leads enterprise access transformation across ambulatory clinics, specialty practices, diagnostic services, ambulatory surgery centers, and hospital-based services. The role designs and implements new access models using automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and coordinated digital and human support. Responsibilities span scheduling, registration, insurance verification, authorization, referrals, financial clearance, and contact centers, with measurable gains in timely care, patient experience, capacity utilization, and revenue cycle performance. The Executive Director reports to the Chief Operating Officer and partners with physician leaders, operations, nursing, IT, finance, revenue cycle, managed care, and patient experience leaders. This leader owns the access transformation roadmap, redesigns workflows, and scales proven innovations. The role builds access capabilities for new facilities and care models while ensuring reliable operations, responsible AI use, and equitable access.

Directs Enterprise Patient Access Strategy and Operations

Aligns access transformation with enterprise growth, patient experience, and revenue cycle goals. Sets targets for time to care, referral conversion, capacity utilization, and responsiveness. Integrates scheduling, referrals, registration, contact centers, and digital self-service. Sets implementation owners, milestones, adoption targets, and measurable benefits. Pilots and scales proven access innovations with clinical, technology, and industry partners.

Oversees Scheduling, Referral Management, and Access Center Operations

Integrates centralized scheduling and digital self-scheduling across specialties and care settings. Automates referral intake, routing, provider matching, status tracking, and escalation. Partners with clinical leaders on scheduling standards, templates, and automated waitlists. Tracks appointment delays, referrals, call abandonment, digital adoption, and unused capacity. Coordinates phone, portal, web, and messaging access, with human support for complex needs.

Leads Revenue Cycle Front-End Operations

Automates registration, insurance verification, clearance, and authorization with Revenue Cycle. Implements digital intake and data validation to improve accuracy and reduce rework. Tracks data accuracy, authorization timeliness, clearance delays, and clean claim performance. Uses analytics and workflow redesign to prevent access-related denials and improve collections. Implements procedures supporting payer and regulatory compliance.

Leads Innovation, Automation, AI, and Digital Access Solutions

Implements an access innovation roadmap integrating Epic, digital tools, automation, and AI. Deploys self-scheduling and AI-assisted voice and messaging tools with reliable handoffs to staff. Leads innovation pilots from design and testing to deployment; measures adoption and results. Validates predictive analytics for demand, capacity, staffing, and no-show prevention. Partners with IT, clinical informatics, and vendors on integration, data quality, and implementation. Establishes AI monitoring, human oversight, and escalation with clinical and compliance leaders.

Directs Workforce Leadership and Talent Development

Develops leaders in access operations, digital implementation, analytics, and change management. Oversees Directors, Managers, Supervisors, and operational leaders. Trains teams in AI, automation, exception management, and support for complex patient needs. Redesigns staffing and roles as automation expands, aligning capacity with demand. Builds a culture of experimentation, accountability, service excellence, and sustained adoption.

Oversees Financial Management and Resource Stewardship

Aligns operating and capital budgets with access operations and the transformation roadmap. Measures staffing productivity, cost to serve, and capacity released through automation. Builds investment cases and verifies access, efficiency, experience, and financial gains. Manages vendors against integration, service, adoption, and measurable benefit requirements. Monitors departmental financial performance against targets. Ensures regulatory compliance and risk management.

Ensures Regulatory Compliance and Risk Management

Ensures compliance with CMS, HIPAA, EMTALA, No Surprises Act, state regulations, and payer requirements. Maintains policies for digital access, automated workflows, AI use, and human escalation. Audits access and AI performance for errors, bias, and service failures; leads corrective action. Partners with Compliance, IT security, and clinical leaders on privacy and responsible AI use. Maintains human support and downtime workflows to mitigate operational and technology risks.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, Finance, Health Information Management, or related field.
• 10 years of progressively responsible healthcare operations, patient access, revenue cycle, contact center, ambulatory operations, or healthcare administration experience.
• 6 years directing managers and supervisors, including workflow or technology transformation.
• Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's degree in Healthcare Administration (MHA), Business Administration (MBA), Public Health (MPH), or related discipline.
• 15 years of progressively responsible healthcare operations or patient access experience.
• 8 years of senior leadership experience overseeing multiple functions and leading transformation.
• Experience within an academic medical center, integrated delivery system, or large physician enterprise.
• Experience implementing Epic access tools, automation, AI, and analytics with measurable results.
• Certified Healthcare Access Manager (CHAM) Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) Project Management Professional (PMP) Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt Epic Certification(s) related to Cadence, Prelude, or Revenue Cycle functionality.

SALARY RANGE

OPEN

WORKING ENVIRONMENT / EQUIPMENT

Standard office equipment Repetitive use of a keyboard May be exposed to such occupational hazards as communicable diseases, blood borne pathogens, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, hazardous medications and disoriented or combative patients, or others.

EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

RETIREMENT PLAN ELIGIBILITY

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

BACKGROUND CHECKS

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

PAY TRANSPARENCY

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

E-VERIFY

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following: E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF] Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF] Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

COMPLIANCE

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) and others. If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031. The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.