Director of Operations

Position Title: FQHC Director of Operations

Department: Administration

Supervisor: FQHC Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Status/Hours per week: Exempt - Full-Time (40 hours/week)

Primary Function

Under general supervision of the federally qualified health center (FQHC) COO, the Director of Operations directs, administers and oversees the operations and departmental objectives of all FQHC Departments and Programs. Using data reporting, establishes quality and productivity metrics and processes to assure that systems are performing optimally.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Research, forecast, recommend, implement, develop and measure FQHC departmental goals and objectives. Evaluate performance in relation to established goals and develop new approaches, policies and objectives to effect continual improvement in the efficiency of the departments and services provided.
• Identify and develop areas for departmental expansion and growth as well as resolve departmental deficits. Work with department and senior leadership to resolve gaps using quantitative measures and reporting trends as a driver.
• Collaborate with department leadership, and operations management to drive quality and standardize improvements to maximize utilization of staffing, resources and overall departmental production.
• Assure compliance of all regulatory requirements within the departments tied to the role.
• Forecast, business plan, lead and/or participate in large scale infrastructure improvement projects across the FQHC.
• Identify opportunities to integrate FQHC services, particularly that of the Eye, Dental, and Behavioral Health Departments with other clinical operations at UCHC including Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC)/Primary Care Medical Home (PCMH) initiatives and the PACE Elder Service Program.
• Provide direction, leadership, and guidance to Patient Services leads and supervisors.
• Assist in determining departmental staffing levels to meet the needs of the patient community and department operations. Interview, hire, orient and train personnel, reviewing performance and making recommendations for future needs.
• Working with the FQHC COO, and various clinical directors, establish professional standards for clinics; develop and review data reports to assess departmental performance and outcomes; use data to monitor performance against standards to assure high quality level of services provided; take appropriate corrective actions as needed. Develop, implement, and revise departmental policies, protocols and procedures that comply with the most current accepted professional standards.
• Leverage Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and various interfaces to improve operational workflows in coordination with Quality, Clinical Leadership and Practice Management.
• Make recommendations for operational improvements to maximize the patient experience and implements approved recommendations.
• Manage and oversee department revenue cycle in collaboration with health center billing department and clinical leadership to determine shrinkage or loss in revenue collection and utilization of reimbursable services.
• Contract and maintain business relationships with vendors and insurers to meet the needs of various FQHC departments. Participate in the review of insurance, provider, and business contracts, existing and new and make recommendation to senior leadership for revisions.
• Review and approve invoices in a timely manner in collaboration with the COO.
• Examine and identify alternative revenue streams such as grants and reimbursable services not offered or underutilized.
• Using the data and tools provided by the Finance department, develop departmental budgets; including staffing costs, capital improvements, supplies and other expenses with accountability for ensuring that the clinic operates within allocated funds.
• Provide oversight to the processes that ensure efficient patient scheduling, registration, check-in, check-out, co- and self-pay collection, treatment plan adherence, prescription refills, and referral and authorization management.
• Oversee the staff management issues of responsible departments, working closely with Human Resources and appropriate Managers, Supervisors, and Team Leads on staff development, performance, retention and satisfaction.
• Actively participate in HRSA audit preparation and presentation. Ensure that all relevant policies and procedures, protocols, signage, and vendor agreements are up to date and audit ready.
• Manage escalated patient grievances and incidents; coordinate and participate in related patient case conferences and committees.
• Prepare reports and assist in a coordinated and continuous dashboard to communicate data at a high level at regular intervals
• Participate in administrative and professional meetings.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
  
  

Minimum Basic Knowledge

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum of 7 years of prior supervisory/management experience in the healthcare field.
  
  

Experience & Qualifications

• EPIC/OCHIN and/or a similar EHR platform experience preferred.
• Data tracking and reporting; experience with Business Objects and Crystal Reports, Azara DRVS preferred.
• At least 5 years of practice management experience.
• Proven communication, facilitation, and interpersonal skills and in diplomacy.
• Ability to simultaneously manage multiple responsibilities and respond appropriately to multiple internal and external requests.
• Advanced project management skills.
• Ability to take initiative and exercise sound judgment, decision making and problem solving.
• Prior experience with working successfully with physicians and other clinicians, HR, IT and Facility Management.
  
  

Independent Action

Significant independent decision making as described above.

Supervisory Responsibility

Supervision of staff and functions as described above.

Define Access Level to PHI: Level 3: Authorized to access only certain limited categories of PHI and certain limited sections of the UCHC patient’s medical record that are necessary to perform job duties, whether treatment, payment or operations duties. Staff in this category level should confine the use of PHI to the minimum necessary required and should not access or read parts of the medical record not needed to perform assigned duties.