About Shirley Ryan AbilityLab

Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (SRAlab) is the global leader in physical medicine and rehabilitation for adults and children with the most severe, complex conditions. By joining our team, you will be part of our life-changing Mission and Vision. You’ll work in a truly inclusive environment where diversity and equity are championed through words and actions. You’ll contribute to an innovative culture that is second to none, one that embraces curiosity, discovery, and compassion. You’ll play a role in something that’s never been done before as we integrate science and clinical care to help patients achieve better, faster outcomes — as we Advance Human Ability, together.

General Summary:

The Executive Director, Revenue Cycle has responsibility for the strategic, operational, and financial direction and oversite of multiple departmental units within the revenue cycle. Coordinates with other senior leadership to ensure that all operational revenue functions are aligned and optimized to meet or exceed customer requirements, maximize cash collections and minimize cost-to-collect. The Executive Director will integrate and facilitate best practices, achieve efficiencies that align with SRAlab’s strategic plan while maintaining quality, compliance and service delivery standards. This position plays an invaluable rule in maintaining SRAlab’s high standards for exceptional care while ensuring smooth daily operations and successful finances.

The Executive Director, Revenue Cycle will consistently demonstrate support of the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab statement of Vision, Mission and Core Values by striving for excellence, contributing to the team efforts and showing respect and compassion for patients and their families, fellow employees, and all others with whom there is contact at or in the interest of the institute.

The Executive Director, Revenue Cycle will demonstrate Shirley Ryan AbilityLab Core Attributes: Communication, Accountability, Flexibility/Adaptability, Judgment/Problem Solving, Customer Service and Core Values (Hope, Compassion, Discovery, Collaboration, & Commitment to Excellence) while fulfilling job duties.

Principal Responsibilities:

The Executive Director, Revenue Cycle:

• Provides executive skills and leadership to diverse resource teams working across revenue cycle areas including Patient Financial Services (including Outpatient Financial Clearance), Health Information Management and Physician Support Services.

• Assures Revenue Cycle services are coordinated and integrated with other related departments such as Scheduling, Outpatient Registration, Inpatient Admitting, Utilization Management, Finance, Managed Care Contracting and Physician Practice by working closely with appropriate members of the management team.

• Chair the Revenue Cycle Governance Committee. Organize the agendas, ensure appropriate representation, and bring reports and data to support decision-making.

• Ensures compliance with applicable Federal, State and local billing and collections regulations for hospital and physician services and adheres to the requirements of HIPAA privacy policies and procedures maintaining confidentiality of patients, families and staff.

• Monitors and analyzes financial operations and key performance indicators, including accounts receivable, cash collections, denials as a percent of net revenue, percentage of clean claims, and discharged not final billed accounts, devising proactive strategies to ensure favorable outcomes.

• Leads denial management initiatives, collaborating with various clinical and financial teams to evaluate and address root causes of payment delays and/or payer denials with focus on improving process workflows, optimizing revenue collections, and reducing avoidable write-offs.

• Communicates, both orally and in writing, with all constituents, including patients, physicians, third party payers, vendor partners, and SRAlab associates.

• Serves as the primary contact for senior leadership, providing high-level communications and status reporting of revenue cycle metrics, initiatives, opportunities, and timely issues resolution.

• Develops annual operating budgets for revenue cycle cost centers, conducts variance analyses and manages financial and material resources within approved budgets.

• Identifies required skill mix and staffing plans and provides for staff development and education to maintain appropriate levels of technical proficiency, productivity, regulatory compliance, and customer service.

• Create and maintain productivity and quality measures for the various job functions and incorporate objective benchmarks and targets into employee evaluations.

• Work closely with the IT Revenue Cycle team to develop training materials and assessments to ensure all staff have the training and skills to perform job duties.

• Ensure all policies and procedures are documented, maintained, reviewed and approved in accordance with SRAlab’s standards.

• Perform all other duties that may be assigned in the best interest of the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab.

Reporting Relationships:

• Reports directly to the Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer and will have accountability to other administrative/executive representatives of SRAlab (Vice President of Information Services, Vice President of Corporate Finance, Compliance Officer, and Operations leadership).

• Provides oversight and has responsibility for direct report associates: Director of Health Information Management, two Directors of Patient Financial Services, and the Supervisor for Outpatient Financial Clearance.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration or other related field, MBA or MHA preferred, HFMA Certification desirable.

• Minimum 10 years of healthcare experience with working knowledge of hospital and physician revenue cycle operations and accounts receivable management.

• Maintains working knowledge of applicable Federal, State and local billing and collections regulations for hospital and physician services.

• Experience in rehabilitation service delivery in an academic hospital setting preferred.

• Strong leadership presence and skills with proven capabilities in building and leading teams.

• Analytical ability to design and implement leading practice process and technology improvements, and to detect and resolve problems related to accounts receivable and system implementations.

• Excellent interpersonal skills necessary to interface effectively with all constituency groups and colleagues.

• Previous work experience with Cerner Revenue Cycle systems preferred.

Working Conditions:

• Normal office environment with little or no exposure to dust or extreme temperature.

• While SRAlab will be implementing a Hybrid (on-site and remote) work schedule for PFS staff, the Executive Director with be expected to work primarily on-site.