DescriptionWe're seeking Full-Time Director of Practice Operations to join our dynamic our team. The Director of Practice Operations leads the design, standardization, and daily execution of front office and patient access operations across multiple sites within integrated medical, psychiatric, and behavioral health services. The role ensures that every individual receives a respectful, timely, and financially accurate entry into care while improving workflows, staff performance, operational efficiency, and the integrity of registration and payer information. Primary operational responsibility for front desk workflows, benefit verification, payer and program eligibility processes, AHCCCS enrollment support, Medicare and Medicaid requirements, Title XIX status, commercial insurance, co-pay collection, scheduling, registration, and front office service standards. The position partners closely with clinical operations, revenue cycle, finance, compliance, information technology, and site leadership to reduce barriers to care, prevent avoidable denials, and create consistent practices across locations.
Key ResponsibilitiesOperational Excellence and Workflow Design
- Assess current-state front office processes and design clear, standardized, member-centered workflows for registration, check-in, check-out, scheduling, referrals, document collection, benefit verification, payment collection, and follow-up.
- Develop and maintain standard operating procedures, desk guides, decision trees, scripts, forms, escalation pathways, and internal controls for front office functions.
- Use data, staff feedback, payer requirements, and root-cause analysis to identify bottlenecks, remove duplication, reduce wait times, and improve accuracy and throughout.
Eligibility, Enrollment, and Payer Administration- Oversee timely verification and documentation of benefits and eligibility for AHCCCS, Medicare, Medicaid, Title XIX, commercial/private insurance, and other applicable funding sources before or at the point of service.
- Ensure staff accurately capture demographics, coverage, coordination-of-benefits information, authorizations, responsible-party information, consent forms, and other registration requirements in the electronic health record and related systems.
Revenue Integrity and Financial Stewardship- Establish and monitor processes for communicating patient financial responsibility and collecting co-pays, deductibles, coinsurance, self-pay amounts, and approved payment arrangements in a respectful and consistent manner.
- Maintain controls for receipts, cash and check handling, daily reconciliation, deposit preparation, refunds, adjustments, and segregation of duties in accordance with organizational policy.
Leadership and Service- Recruit, onboard, train, schedule, coach, and evaluate front office and patient access staff; clarify accountability and address performance concerns promptly and consistently.
Compliance, Quality, and Risk Management- Ensure front office practices comply with HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2 when applicable, CMS and AHCCCS requirements, payer contracts, organizational policies, record-retention requirements, and applicable federal and Arizona regulations.
Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in healthcare administration, business, public administration, health information management, or a related field; an equivalent combination of relevant education and progressively responsible experience may be considered
- Five years of progressive experience in healthcare practice operations, patient access, front office management, eligibility/enrollment, or revenue cycle, including at least two years of direct staff supervision.
- Demonstrated experience with Medicare, Medicaid/AHCCCS, Title XIX, commercial insurance, benefit verification, patient financial responsibility, and payer portals.
- Demonstrated ability to design workflows, write SOPs, manage change, analyze performance data, and lead consistent operations across teams or sites
- Working knowledge of HIPAA and healthcare registration, billing, authorization, and documentation practices
- Proficiency with electronic health records, practice management systems, Microsoft Office, reporting tools, and web-based payer systems
- Valid Driver's license, reliable transportation, and ability to travel locally among organizational locations as required.
Preferred Qualifications- Experience in nonprofit, community behavioral health, integrated healthcare, federally or state funded programs, or a multi-site provider organization.
- Knowledge of Arizona behavioral health and AHCCCS systems, managed care organizations, renewal/redetermination processes, and community enrollment resources.
- Certification in healthcare access, revenue cycle, medical practice management, Lean, Six Sigma, or project management
- Experience supporting diverse populations, including individuals with serious mental illness, substance use disorders, intellectual/developmental disabilities, housing instability, or other complex needs.
- Bilingual English/Spanish or other language capability relevant to the communities served.
