Director of Access-Guest Registration, Central and South region

At Northwestern Medicine, every patient interaction makes a difference in cultivating a positive workplace. This patient-first approach is what sets us apart as a leader in the healthcare industry. As an integral part of our team, you'll have the opportunity to join our quest for better healthcare, no matter where you work within the Northwestern Medicine system. At Northwestern Medicine, we pride ourselves on providing competitive benefits: from tuition reimbursement and loan forgiveness to 401(k) matching and lifecycle benefits, we take care of our employees. Ready to join our quest for better?

The Access Director reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, adheres to the organization’s Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards.

Oversight of Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) in Chicago and Palos Community Hospital in Palos Heights. 

Responsibilities:

Time, People and Resource Management:

• Establishes, implements, and monitors the unit or service areas capital and operating budget to achieve defined targets.
• Recruits and retains staff members consistent with the unit and organizations human resource plan.
• Develops systems for the responsible use of all hospital resources.

Customer Focus:

• Clearly identifies the internal and external customer(s) for their unit or service area and their respective requirements/expectations.
• Actively seeks methods of concurrent and retrospective feedback from customers, listens to customer feedback and implements solutions and/or interventions as appropriate.

Creative Leadership:

• Translates organizational vision into a unit or service area vision that engages managers and staff in contributing to and achieving that vision.

Coaching and Development:

• Provides daily, just-in-time feedback to improve performance and self-esteem of staff.
• Tracks coaching discussions and actual performance of associates to ensure accountability.
• Seeks ways to match staff members talents and career interests with organizational opportunities.

Continuous Learning:

• Continually examines ways to improve business relationships with customers, suppliers, community, etc.
• Seeks and is open to new ideas from a wide range of sources; encourages others to share knowledge and best practices.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Ensures measurement and achievement of key performance indicators of the department and devises improvement strategies where needed to ensure performance.
• Measure performance against goals in dashboards produced to customers on a monthly bases.
• Responsible for ensuring downstream impact to Revenue Cycle and Departmental customers operations are maintained and improved by monitoring performance indicators.
• Collaborates with Managed Care and Revenue Cycle to maintain knowledge of changing insurance plans and requirements, translating those changes to training and operations of the team.
• Oversees the pre-authorization process for diagnostic testing.
• Ensures work-lists and performance of the team maintain to goals to minimize patient and financial impact.
• Develops and monitors strategies to increase customer satisfaction and provides active feedback to the team on performance related to these strategies.
• Collaborates with Information Services to ensure ongoing modifications and changes needed to support departmental functions related to scheduling and pre-registration.
• Utilizes appropriate resources within the institution, division and department to provide consultation education, technical or informational services as needed to self, staff and other personnel.
• Collaborates with the Vice President of Scheduling and Physician Referral in developing strategies, to include but not limited to: inpatient and outpatient schedule planning, capacity and utilization plans.
• Ensures all staff are trained and developed in all aspects of operations to optimize operational efficiency and effectiveness.
• Meets targeted goals for department specific turnover and vacancy rates.
• Develops recruitment and retention plan.
• Ensures the development, delivery and maintenance of technical in-service and continuing education programs to ensure the continuing evolution of staff competence.
• Creates an environment of strong morale and motivated professionals.

Department Management:

• Set and integrate annual department mission and objectives.
• Model and teach Patients First conduct.
• Delegate to, coach and support managers in decision-making and problem solving at the department or services level.
• Lead and teach a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach to patient care and service delivery using DMAIC and other institutional resources.
• Ensure that managers fulfill responsibilities for quality and operational management.
• Ensure full compliance with all federal, state, local, JCAHO and hospital regulations, policies and procedures.

Financial Management:

• Responsible for developing and implementing strategies which support financial performance goals.
• Establish/approve, monitor and adjust budgets across departments to achieve financial performance objectives.
• Manage and meet annual operating and capital budgets.
• Develop business plans and major equipment purchase proposals as applicable.
• Ensure that managers fulfill responsibilities for financial management.

AA/EOE.

Required:

• Bachelors degree. Strong communication, teamwork and critical thinking skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Demonstrated leadership abilities.
• Proficient at problem solving and decision-making skills, with ability to confront and resolve issues.

Preferred:

• MBA strongly preferred.
• 6-8 years progressive management responsibility, preferably within a hospital environment.

Northwestern Medicine is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status.