Patient Access Director

About Apex Skin:

We are Apex Skin, and our mission is to provide the highest quality dermatology and dermatologic surgery care to patients across Northeast Ohio with promptness, compassion, and excellence. We pride ourselves on delivering exceptional patient experiences, offering same-day appointments, and serving our communities through education and meaningful care. Our team is dedicated to creating a supportive, patient-focused environment where excellence, empathy, and teamwork thrive.

Apex Skin is a physician-led and rapidly growing dermatology practice committed to delivering exceptional patient experiences. We are seeking an experienced patient access leader to serve as Patient Access Director. This role provides strategic and operational leadership across patient scheduling, registration, insurance verification, and digital access, ensuring efficient, high-quality processes that support a seamless patient experience and the practice’s revenue cycle and managed care objectives.

This is an ownership role for someone who can optimize systems and processes, lead teams through change, leverage data to drive performance, and identify opportunities for continuous improvement. The Patient Access Director will work closely with clinical, operational, revenue cycle, and business leaders; oversee direct reports and patient access functions across the practice; lead technology and process improvement initiatives; and serve as a trusted operational partner in advancing access, accuracy, efficiency, and the overall patient experience.

Essential Functions

• Provide strategic oversight for the selection, budgeting, management, and implementation of scheduling applications and solutions, serving as Project Manager for related technology initiatives
• Monitor industry trends and competitive best practices, evaluate processes, systems, and staffing to identify opportunities for improvement in the patient and referring provider experience, and develop and track performance metrics to measure the effectiveness of operations, systems, and staff
• Lead application training and knowledge management initiatives by developing departmental subject matter experts and establishing performance evaluation frameworks and metrics to assess scheduling effectiveness, service levels, and accuracy
• Foster collaborative relationships with physicians, staff, and operations management by maintaining open dialogue on operational concerns, recommending physician schedule modifications when appropriate, and leading efforts to identify and implement process improvements
• Lead patient registration and insurance verification operations across the practice, ensuring accurate patient information and coverage verification before appointments, while overseeing the selection, budgeting, implementation, and management of technology solutions that support efficient access and registration processes
• Oversee telecom structure to support ease of patient access and an exceptional customer experience
• Serve as Project Manager for the implementation and optimization of patient registration applications and technology solutions; identify opportunities to improve the accuracy and completeness of registration data; establish performance metrics to measure registration quality and staff effectiveness; and collaborate regularly with revenue cycle leadership to identify and implement process improvement initiatives
• Work with staff to provide a culture of teamwork and continuous improvement and provide opportunities for regular additional training
• Maintain current knowledge of all applicable regulations and policies that impact scheduling and registration
• Coordinate all non-reporting patient access areas to ensure they are following all patient access policies and procedures
• Manage direct reports in accordance with company policies in an equal manner that ensure confidentiality
• Lead and mentor staff to improve skillset and career potential
• Advise on employee promotions, transfers and dismissals

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in health administration, business or related field
• 7+ years in physician practice with an in-depth understanding of specialty physician practice scheduling and registration
• Demonstrated experience in hospital patient registration, insurance verification, and patient access operations
• Strong understanding of revenue cycle workflows and the role of patient access in supporting revenue cycle performance, including financial counseling and self-pay management
• Progressive staff management experience, including employee training and development, performance management, mentoring, and team leadership
• Experience with patient registration applications and other technology solutions that support scheduling, registration, insurance verification, telecommunications, and digital patient access
• Project management experience, including the implementation, optimization, and management of technology and process improvement initiatives
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with physicians, clinical teams, operational leaders, revenue cycle partners, and staff
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines, work independently, exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and identify, research, and resolve operational issues
• Customer-service mindset with a strong commitment to patient-focused service, operational excellence, accuracy, and continuous improvement

Physical Requirements & Work Environment

• Ability to sit, stand, and walk for extended periods
• Ability to bend, stoop, reach, and perform repetitive motions
• Adequate visual acuity and manual dexterity required for job duties
• Frequent use of hands and fingers for typing, instrument preparation, and documentation
• Ability to speak and hear clearly when interacting with patients and team members
• Ability to occasionally lift or move up to 10 pounds (clinical materials, supplies, or files)
• Includes a typical office environment, with minimal exposure to excessive noise or adverse environmental issues
• Required to adhere to HIPAA, OSHA, and Apex Skin privacy and safety standards
• Occasional travel between office locations may be required

Apex Skin Culture

Apex Skin fosters a collaborative, patient-first environment built on compassion, clinical excellence, and teamwork. We believe in a respectful and supportive workplace where employees feel valued, trusted, and empowered to contribute to exceptional patient experiences and meaningful clinical care.

Employee Health & Safety Requirements:

All patient-facing employees are required to provide proof of a TB test within the past 12 months and an annual flu vaccination as part of Apex Skin’s employee health and safety protocols. The Hepatitis B vaccination series is also strongly recommended for clinical staff due to potential occupational exposure risks. Apex Skin complies with federal and Ohio law by providing reasonable accommodations for medical conditions or sincerely held religious beliefs that prevent vaccination. Employees seeking an accommodation should contact Human Resources for more information.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

Apex Skin provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Apex complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.