Practice Operations Manager

Position Summary

The Practice Operations Manager is accountable for the overall management, supervision, and development of their respective physician practice while ensuring the efficiency and stability of the clinical operations in assigned areas, inclusive of quality, access, and value. Leads, supervises, and coordinates overall operational and administrative functions to ensure maximum efficiency, high-quality patient experiences, and compliance with appropriate HR and regulatory policies. Collaborates with clinical leadership to ensure Columbia Primary Care's strategic goals are achieved. Leads the practice in a manner that delivers an exceptional patient experience that contributes to positive health outcomes for patients and a work culture of kindness, inclusion, integrity, accountability, and excellence.

Responsibilities

Practice Operations

Works collaboratively with physicians, administrative and clinical managers, and staff to ensure the achievement of practice-wide operational and financial goals/metrics. Supervises and coordinates all processes and activities in the area/functions assigned ensuring organizational guidelines and policies are followed. Develop and implement policies and procedures related to patient scheduling and operational issues in the office practice and exam area in collaboration with the medical and administrative staff of the practice. Oversee ordering and stocking of all clinical and office supplies (including PPE) within the office practice suite. Monitor supply uses and maintain and adjust par levels as needed. Ensure optimal use of the facility throughout all hours of operation by optimizing staffing ratios, patient density, and use of clinical space.  Monitor clinic manager dashboard including, but not limited to Front Desk, Scheduling, Referrals, In-Basket management, etc.  Monitor all work queues for completion as they apply to practice operations. Oversees completion and processing of all front-end Revenue Cycle activities including, but not limited to, physician billing; copay collection, charge champion, monitoring physician note closure, adherence to billing compliance and all Revenue Cycle procedures, etc. Monitor all physician billing-related dashboards and metrics. Oversees the physical environment of all sites, interfacing with other departments including IT, telecommunications, housekeeping, facilities, and associated vendors. Oversight of sites' cleanliness and safety according to practice standards. Escalates any issues to Environmental Services, Engineering, Central Sterile, Materials Management, etc., and ensures follow-through.  Creates the daily, weekly, and/or monthly assignment list to ensure adequate clinical coverage and provider support in the practice. Conduct daily scheduled meetings/huddles with staff to ensure consistent transfer of information, smooth patient flow, and team-driven coordination of care and services. Conducts regularly scheduled meetings with Supervisors and other Leads to develop new paths, procedures, and approaches to maximize opportunities for performance and process improvement.

Strategy

Monitors key performance indicators and implements performance improvement initiatives, as needed. Continuously seeks and implements operational improvements. Utilizes electronic medical record dashboards and reports to monitor and keep performance indicators of operational, clinical, and revenue cycle workflows to ensure a holistic view of the practice operation. Develops practice optimization and improvement strategies and utilizes a data-driven methodology to monitor progress. Leads, supports, and mentors staff consistent with Columbia Primary Care's strategic plan, to maintain an efficient patient-centered environment ensuring an exceptional patient experience through kindness, inclusion, integrity, accountability, and excellence. Utilizes database of patient activity, resource utilization, and budget variances; and identifies trends and patterns for analysis and actions. Leads and/or participates in projects and performance improvement activities. Direct all customer satisfaction initiatives, displaying a positive attitude in interactions with staff, patients, and family members. Sets expectations for patient portal activation rates. Monitors metrics and develops strategies to meet target goals. Monitor staff performance using Dashboards, In-Basket management, and work queue completions. Develops strategies to improve completions. Participates as a member of the healthcare team and various interdisciplinary committees to improve patient care and meet patient needs.

People

Direct oversight of supervisor(s) and staff including recruiting and human resource management. Manages and mentors. supervisors to onboard and train clinical staff. Ensures approved HR strategy is implemented and adhered to. Ensures staff productivity benchmarks and quality measures are achieved. Develops remediation plans as needed. Establishes unit metrics and goals to measure the effectiveness of retention strategies. Creates the daily, weekly, and/or monthly assignment list to ensure adequate clinical coverage and provider support in the practice. Evaluates staff performance and competencies, approaching the performance review process constructively, and conducts it in accordance with Human Resources and departmental guidelines and procedures. Offers continuing guidance and assistance to employees on work activities, procedures, competency development, and performance-related issues as appropriate. Ensures leadership is kept aware of the performance of each employee on an ongoing basis. Addresses any performance-related issues promptly. Promotes staff professionalism and performance with coaching, training, and feedback. Mentors others in individual and team accountability, modeling behavior, and demonstrating best practices/techniques. Demonstrates self-development and keeps current on a variety of clinical management and healthcare topics.

Compliance

Oversees and documents the implementation and compliance with ColumbiaDoctors and related institutional policies, procedures, programs, protocols, and systems to provide an efficient and accurate patient encounter which improves the medical office’s effectiveness and the quality of patient outcomes. Ensures compliance with all regulatory agencies, departmental and organizational policies, and procedures for all staff. Keeps current on all organizational, regulatory compliance, and patient privacy training policies (e.g. infection control, public safety, EH&S, HIPAA, OSHA, etc.) and successfully complete all required training. Ensures compliance for a safe and secure work environment at all sites by following all OSHA, EH&S, and public safety policies and guidelines. Maintain patient privacy and confidentiality according to HIPAA requirements at all times. Ensure that Medical Center and Department policies and procedures are followed.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree or equivalency in education and experience. A minimum of 4 years of related experience. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered. Demonstrated intermediate or higher proficiency and/or understanding, knowledge, and experience in project development and implementation, process evaluation, and performance and operational improvement in a healthcare delivery system setting; Demonstrated proficiency in project management skills including planning and executing technical and operational project activities with cross-functional teams. Demonstrated strong proficiency and/or understanding of data sets; extract, evaluate, clean, and summarize; conduct qualitative and quantitative data analysis and validation as applied to areas of responsibility.  The candidate must be well organized and be able to manage a demanding workload and moderately complex cases in an accurate and timely. Demonstrated strong proficiency in problem assessment, and resolution, and collaborative problem-solving in complex, and interdisciplinary settings.  Ability to communicate effectively in both oral and written forms. This position requires the ability to interact positively, constructively, and effectively with professional staff, providers, and organizational stakeholders.  Must be able to create and deliver high-level communication presentations for senior leadership and other organizational stakeholders. Ability to lead and mentor team through new and changing situations. Demonstrate a professional and compassionate manner while conveying a positive image of the practice. Ability to work independently, follow through, and handle multiple tasks simultaneously. Ability to work collaboratively with a culturally diverse staff and patient/family population demonstrating tact and sensitivity in stressful situations. Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word & Excel) or similar software is required and an ability and willingness to learn new systems and programs. Must be a motivated individual with a positive mindset and exceptional work ethic. Must successfully complete systems training requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

A Master's degree is preferred. Physician practice experience preferred

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