Sr Director of Patient Access & Practice Operations in Phoenix; FQHC Experience, 10+ yrs Healthcare

We are pleased to share an exciting opportunity at Terros Health for a Senior Director of Patient Access & Practice Operations position in Phoenix, AZ.

Health care is changing and Terros Health is at the forefront of that change. Creating opportunities for individuals in our community to live their best lives through our vision of extraordinary care by empowered employees achieving exceptional outcomes.

Since 1969, Terros Health has been a beacon of hope for Arizonans, delivering compassionate, whole-person care that transforms lives. We believe that healing begins with connection, and we’re here to walk alongside every individual on their journey to wellness.

If you are interested in working for one of the State's Leading Integrated Healthcare Organizations that promotes Hope, Health and Healing, we encourage you to apply!

www.TerrosHealth.org

Terros Health is hiring for a Senior Director of Patient Access & Practice Operations in Phoenix, AZ.

Full-time: Monday-Friday

Central Phoenix: Central / North of Thomas

Salary Range: $98,000-$103,000 (depending on years of experience)

Bachelor's degree in Health Administration, Public Health, Social Work, or related field (Master's preferred)

10+ years of Healthcare experience; 3+ years of FQHC or Community Health Setting Preferred

3+ years of leadership experience in healthcare access, referral coordination, or benefits enrollment for government and community-based programs

Proficiency in financial systems (Great Plains or similar), EMRs (NextGen or similar), and reporting tools (Business Intelligence or similar)

Familiarity with regulatory frameworks (e.g., AHCCCS, CMS, HRSA, CARF)

Additional duties include, but not limited to:

Strategic Leadership & Oversight

• Proactive management of benefit eligibility requirements at the state and federal levels, and navigates the organization through necessary policy and operational changes
• Develop and lead the Referrals Management and Patient Benefits Enrollment teams across multiple clinic locations
• Develop and implement workflows, policies, and performance metrics to ensure timely and effective referral processing and benefits enrollment
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and trauma-informed service delivery. Collaborate directly with health center and program leadership
• Lead, mentor, and develop managers and staff, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Patient Access and Referral Management

• Provide strategic direction and operational oversight for patient access services, ensuring timely, accurate, and compassionate support for patients and families.
• Lead and optimize the Patient Access Center/Call Center operations to deliver exceptional customer service, reduce wait times, and improve first-call resolution.
• Develop and oversee systems and staff responsible for managing inbound and outbound referrals, ensuring continuity of care and timely access to services
• Collaborate with clinical teams, external providers, and health plans to resolve referral barriers and streamline communication
• Monitor referral turnaround times, authorization processes, and patient follow-up protocols

Benefits Enrollment & Access

• Ensure patients are screened and supported in enrolling in all eligible health coverage programs, including Medicaid, Medicare, ACA plans, and sliding fee scales, and other health and wellness services such as SNAP
• Develop and maintain protocols for ensuring patients retain available coverage and benefits
• Stay current on state and federal eligibility criteria, policy changes, and enrollment platforms
• Provide training and guidance to enrollment staff on cultural responsive patient centered engagement and other skills needed to serve our population with care and compassion

• Direct front office practice management operations across clinics, ensuring consistency, efficiency, and adherence to regulatory requirements.
• Develop, implement, and monitor performance metrics and KPIs for all access and front office functions.

Compliance & Reporting

• Maintain compliance with HRSA, state, and federal regulations related to patient access, referrals processes, and benefits
• Generate reports and dashboards to track referral volume, enrollment outcomes, and access gaps
• Participate in audits, quality improvement initiatives, and cross-departmental planning
• Responsible to ensure required deliverables to external stakeholders are completed and submitted timely and accurately

• Collaborate with clinical leadership, IT, revenue cycle, and compliance teams to optimize processes, technology, and patient experience.
• Serve as a liaison between the organization and external partners (e.g., health plans, community agencies, specialty providers)
• Represent the meetings and collaborative efforts as appropriate
• Advocate for system-level improvements that enhance patient access and reduce disparities

Offering a highly competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits package.

Full Benefits Package including, but not limited to:

• Medical Insurance - PPO and HDHP

• Spending Accounts (HSA, FSA, LPFSA, DCFSA)

• Critical Illness Insurance and Hospital Indemnity

• Dental & Orthodontia and Vision

• Voluntary Life/ AD&D and Short and Long Term Disability Insurance
• Identity Theft, Prepaid Legal
• Pet Insurance
• PTO: 4 Weeks + Holidays (PTO Accrued from 1st Day of Employment)
  • 1 Floating Holiday
• 401K
• Employee Assistance Program
• GCU Tuition Discount for Employees and Dependents

• 
  Bachelor’s degree in Health Administration, Public Health, Social Work, or related field (Master’s preferred)
• Minimum 10 years of experience in health care, preferably with some years in an FQHC or community health setting
• Minimum 3 years of leadership experience in healthcare access, referral coordination, or benefits enrollment for government and community-based programs
• Proficiency in financial systems (Great Plains or similar), EMRs (NextGen or similar), and reporting tools (Business Intelligence or similar)
• Must pass a background check
• Must pass a Drug Screen and TB Test

Essential Skills:

• Strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving skills

• Astute at identifying financial and operational risks and implementing mitigation strategies

• Familiarity with regulatory frameworks (e.g., AHCCCS, CMS, HRSA, CARF)

• Expertise in scenario planning, resource allocation, and predictive modeling

• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement abilities

• Program oversight - ability to manage multi-site, multi-department structure with consistency and accountability

• Workflow organization - skilled in designing and refining processes for timely referrals, eligibility screening, and documentation.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Comfortable using dashboards, metrics, and analytics to guide improvements and report outcomes.