Location: Los Gatos, CA
Schedule:8:00am-5:00pm
Pay: $115,000-130,000 annually
Summary:The Patient Access Manager is responsible for the day-to-day leadership and operational oversight of a centralized call center team of 25+ Patient Access Agents serving an outpatient medical network. This role ensures the seamless delivery of patient access services - including scheduling, registration, insurance verification, prior authorization, and financial counseling - while maintaining exceptional patient experience standards, regulatory compliance, and key performance metrics. The Manager serves as the primary point of accountability for staff performance, workflow optimization, and cross-functional collaboration with clinical, billing, and operational stakeholders across the network.
Essential Functions:Team Leadership & Workforce Management- Directly supervise, coach, and develop 25+ Patient Access Agents, fostering a high-performance, patient-centered team culture.
- Conduct regular one-on-ones, team huddles, and performance reviews; provide real-time feedback and corrective action as needed.
- Manage scheduling, time-off requests, and shift coverage to ensure adequate staffing across all call center hours of operation.
- Lead recruitment, onboarding, and training for new agents; develop competency-based orientation programs.
- Identify top performers for advancement and implement succession planning within the department.
Call Center Operations & Performance- Monitor daily call center activity, including inbound/outbound call volume, abandonment rates, average handle time, and service level agreements (SLAs).
- Analyze workforce management data and adjust staffing models to meet patient demand across all network locations.
- Establish, track, and report on KPIs including scheduling accuracy, authorization turnaround, point-of-service collections, and patient satisfaction scores.
- Implement and enforce standardized workflows, scripts, and escalation protocols to ensure consistency and quality across all agents. Oversee quality assurance programs including call monitoring, audit reviews, and agent scorecards.
- Patient Access
- Ensure accurate and timely patient registration, demographic data entry, insurance eligibility verification, and benefits investigation.
- Oversee prior authorization workflows for all outpatient services, ensuring compliance with payer requirements and minimizing delays in care.
- Supervise financial counseling activities, including self-pay collections, payment plan establishment, and charity care screening.
- Collaborate with billing and coding teams to reduce claim denials attributable to front-end access errors.
- Monitor and maintain compliance with HIPAA, CMS regulations, and organizational policies related to patient data and access.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Communication
- Serve as the primary liaison between the call center and outpatient clinic administrators, providers, and department heads across the network.
- Partners with IT, EHR teams, and vendor contacts to troubleshoot system issues and implement enhancements to scheduling and registration platforms.
- Present operational reports and performance dashboards to senior leadership on a regular cadence.
- Participate in revenue cycle steering committees, process improvement initiatives, and network expansion planning.
Training, Compliance & Process Improvement- Develop and maintain up-to-date training materials, policy manuals, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for all patient access functions.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives using data analytics, staff feedback, and patient satisfaction surveys.
- Champion the use of technology tools (Automated eligibility, patient portal) to streamline access workflows.
Minimum Requirements:- Education: Bachelor's degree in healthcare administration, Business, or a related field
- Leadership: Minimum 2 years in a supervisory or management role overseeing a team of 10 or more staff
- Systems: Demonstrated proficiency with Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems (Epic)
- Revenue Cycle: Working knowledge of insurance verification, prior authorization, and medical billing processes
- Compliance: Strong understanding of HIPAA regulations and healthcare compliance standards
Preferred Qualifications:- Master's degree in healthcare administration (MHA) or Business Administration (MBA)
- Certified Healthcare Access Manager (CHAM) or Certified Revenue Cycle Representative (CRCR) credential
- Experience managing centralized or multi-site call center operations in a large outpatient or ambulatory network
- Familiarity with workforce management platforms (e.g. Cisco, Webex) and call center telephony systems
Work Environment & Physical Requirements:- Standard call center environment; extended periods of computer and telephone use
- May require occasional evening or weekend availability to support operational needs or staff coverage.
- Travel to satellite outpatient clinic locations within the network may be required periodically.
