Access Management Supervisor

The Supervisor oversees a team responsible for conducting registration and/or financial clearance for incoming patients. This role ensures accurate assessment of patients' financial information, verifies insurance coverage, and facilitates key processes to streamline patient access and ongoing care while protecting the Institute’s revenue. The Supervisor prepares the team for potential difficult conversations with patients on financial clearance related to their clinically complex care, while maintaining a focus on a positive patient experience and operational effectiveness. This role collaborates with departments across Revenue Cycle, Hospital Operations, Regional Campuses, Health Plans, Health Plan vendors, and partnering entities. This position is responsible for maintaining compliance with hospital policies and regulatory requirements while optimizing team performance and efficiency.

Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS, and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physician/researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead access and/or authorization activities and staff. Make informed decisions on team assignments and workload distribution, ensuring optimal coverage and adherence to budgetary constraints.
• Ensure accuracy and compliance with hospital policies and regulatory requirements. Implement and refine procedures to adapt to changes in healthcare regulations and insurance policies, while maintaining efficiency across core functional areas such as insurance verification and authorization capture.
• Collaborate with clinical departments, regional campuses, billing teams, other operational areas and external partnering affiliates to streamline workflows and resolve complex cases. Serve as a liaison to ensure clear communication and alignment of goals, including partnerships with external clinical affiliates and patients.
• Develop and update policies and procedures ensuring they remain relevant and effective amidst changing healthcare landscapes. Engage with key stakeholders to gather input and ensure policies meet the needs of all parties involved, including compliance with attendance, punctuality, and diversity standards.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with health plans and vendors, regulatory bodies, and other external partners to facilitate smooth registration and/or financial clearance processes. Influence policy changes and negotiations by providing expert insights and advocating for the patient’s and hospital's interests.
• Monitor compliance with registration and/or financial clearance standards and implement quality assurance measures to maintain high levels of accuracy and efficiency. Address and resolve any compliance issues promptly, ensuring the hospital's reputation and financial integrity are upheld, while coordinating refresher training sessions as needed. Analyze data to identify trends, areas for improvement, and opportunities for process optimization. Prepare and present reports to senior management, providing insights and recommendations for strategic decision-making.
• Supervise staff. Hire, develop, and manage staff to achieve organizational goals. Set clear expectations, deliver feedback, and monitor performance for quality, efficiency, and compliance with policies and procedures. Mentor staff and foster career growth. Cultivate a positive and productive work environment inclusive of collaboration, professionalism, quality care, continuous improvement within the team and across the Institute; one which cultivates and recognizes future leaders.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Comprehensive understanding of healthcare systems, insurance policies, and regulatory requirements related to registration, financial clearance, and patient billing.
• In-depth knowledge of processes required for specific role, which may include insurance verification, authorization capture, and patient financial counseling.
• Familiarity with data analysis techniques and reporting tools to evaluate performance and identify areas for improvement.
• Strong leadership skills to effectively manage and develop a diverse team, fostering a collaborative and productive work environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to interact with patients and other stakeholders, including clinical departments, insurance providers, and regulatory bodies.
• Ability to analyze complex situations, make informed decisions, and implement effective solutions to resolve issues.
• Proficiency in managing multiple tasks and priorities, ensuring efficient workflow and adherence to deadlines.
• Ability to adapt to changes in healthcare regulations and policies, ensuring processes remain relevant and effective.
• Capability to influence policy changes and negotiate with external partners to advocate for the patient’s and hospital's interests.
• Ability to manage difficult patient conversations, remaining sensitive to their clinical status, while removing barriers to reimbursement.
• Capacity to think strategically and provide insights and recommendations for improving processes and overall hospital administration.

Minimum Job Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree
• 5 years of relevant experience (e.g., Referrals, Clinical Authorizations, Patient Registration, Inpatient Admissions, Financial Counseling/Clearance)
• Experience with managed care policies and medical terminology require Experience with hospital revenue cycle systems required
• Prior supervisory experience preferred
• Epic systems experience preferred

Supervisory Responsibilities

Directly supervises a team of specialists and/or financial counselors (levels I, II, and Senior).

Patient Contact

In person, phone, email, including adult and pediatric (or families of pediatric) patients as relevant to the specific role