Manager of Accounting, Patient Financial Services & Registration - posted 03/24/03

4.                  COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Good written and verbal communication skills plus        ability to interact with people.  Must have strong leadership, team building and interpersonal skills. 

BUDGET:  For general accounting department and business office departments.

CLIENTELE DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY JOB: Business Office and General Accounting staff; Administration; Board of Directors; all Rice departments and patients.

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT OF JOB: Normal office working conditions

EQUIPMENT OR MACHINES USED ON THE JOB: Computer (email, spreadsheet and word processing), telephone, copy machines, fax machines, computer printer, calculator.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF JOB: Rounding, sitting; concentration.

MENTAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB: Needs strong decision making, critical thinking skills, and self initiative.  Ability to manage many projects at once and meet deadlines.  Frequent interruptions; ability to make decisions quickly; ability to assist staff by answering questions, identify problems early and resolve promptly.  Leadership abilities in training and motivating staff to perform effectively.

INDEPENDENT ACTION: Ability to respond to situations quickly and independently.  Ability to analyze information and question data. Looks for ways to improve processes and systems.

EFFECT OF ERROR: Errors could be very expensive in terms of additional costs, lost revenue, or time to correct mistake. Improper decisions could have an adverse affect on public relations of the hospital, staff morale and productivity, and on cash flow.

CONTACT WITH OTHERS:  Continuous personal contact with accounting and business office personnel.  Frequent contact with administration, department directors & leaders, public, hospital staff, medical staff, other facilities, patients, attorneys, and collection agencies.

PRINCIPAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES, TASKS, AND AUTHORITIES:

1.                  Overall Supervision of Admitting / Switchboard/ Business Office/Billing and Collections and Accounting staff

1.                  Leadership: Communicates desired direction to facilitate action and implement change; delegates and gets others to do tasks and accept responsibility; selects and hires appropriate people; fosters and maintains effective organizational culture; is versatile in leadership style; consults with staff and relevant people external to the organization; and understands and utilizes CQI principles.

2.                  Decision-making and planning: Re-thinks and re-states the organization’s and department’s priorities; develops and implements a strategic plan; guides and directs decisions through knowledge of governmental mandates and accrediting standards; interprets external changes and their implications; respond rapidly and appropriately to unexpected events; and anticipates and manages change.

3.                  Communications: Empathizes, listens and responds effectively to someone else’s statement; uses established management team ground rules; creates surroundings conducive to effective communication; read the politics of a given situation and acts accordingly; develops effective public relations processes within and for the organization; displays a high level of self confidence through appropriate verbal and non-verbal interactions; communicates effectively in writing; and keeps people informed.

4.                  Financial Management: develops and controls budgets (annual and long-term); appropriately interprets and questions basic financial reports; utilizes performance measures (e.g., bench marking, best practices); takes calculated financial risks; and consult on financial matters.

5.                  Developing others: develops an effective team; develops and maintains professional relationships among staff; holds others accountable for clear and specific expectations; provides spontaneous positive feedback; assumes a mentor role; uses quality improvement findings as a basis for constructive staff development ; uses an effective assessment system to develop and promote others; and assists staff in seeing the “big picture”.

6.                  Negotiation: Identifies and manages conflict; demonstrates understanding of differing points of view; negotiates in a trusting positive manner; clarifies issues of concern to various staff groups involved; mediates between conflicting groups; and facilitates change.

7.                  Quality: Role models commitment to CQI philosophy; creates a consistent means of communicating CQI activities at departmental meetings; identifies departmental customers and their needs and expectations; encourages and evaluates staff involvement in CQI activities; identifies communicates and trains staff on departmental key processor; identifies customers of key precesses and measures satisfaction levels; monitors key processes; identifies and works to eliminate barriers to quality; empowers staff to make decisions “on the spot” to assure customer; and assures that internal and external standard are met.

2.                  Annual Budget for All Hospital Entities;      

Provide Department Managers with budget information each year, Coordinate information submitted by department managers, provide administration with completed budget sections for review, prepare cash flow budget.

C.             Prepare/analyze Monthly Financial Reports 

Prepare written analysis of monthly financial report for Board, Analyze expense variances each month for Administration, Meets with various department managers to review financial reports as needed.

D         Annual Audit Report   

Analyze hospital balance sheet accounts for auditors, analyze contractual allowances for reasonable write off percentages, prepare supplemental audit schedules for final audit report, prepare various other account analysis as requested by auditors, answer auditors questions on various events during year

E.              Reports  

Ensure that appropriate and accurate data is gathered for Medicare Cost Report for external auditors, answer questions on cost report during annual audit.  Prepare other reports on behalf of Rice Memorial Hospital, including the Hospital Annual Report for State of Minnesota.

6.                  Leadership and Professional Growth.

Perform other duties as requested. Conducts regular periodic staff meetings to inform staff of changes in policies and provide in service training. On a biweekly basis reviews and approves time sheets for all employees in areas of responsibility. Reviews collection agency performance.  Participates in special workshops or training sessions in Medicare, Medical Assistance, Blue Cross and other payers’ procedures to maintain current knowledge relative to these procedures. Promotes effective intra/inter departmental working relationships.