Description

JOB SUMMARY:

Under the direction of the Chief Operations Officer, the Primary Care Operations Manager provides administrative oversight for multiple primary care clinics at the El Dorado County Community Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). The manager oversees the operational efficiency and strategic coordination of primary care services, including specialty services, across multiple clinic sites and standardization with other service lines as necessary. This role ensures seamless integration of primary care operations with organizational objectives, focusing on multi-site management, resource allocation, and performance optimization.

The Primary Care Operations manager collaborates with the Chief Operations Officer, clinical leadership, and other service line Operations Managers to support clinical and administrative excellence while ensuring compliance with federal, State, and local regulations.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Clinic Operations Management:

1. Oversees the operational performance of primary care services, including specialty, chiropractic, and eye care, at all clinic sites ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and patient care standards.
2. Develops and implements standardized operational workflows across sites to enhance efficiency, reduce variability, and improve patient access to primary care.
3. Monitors key performance indicators such as patient visit volumes, wait times, confirmation rates, patient satisfaction, and operational costs, and implements strategies to meet or exceed targets.
4. Coordinates with Front Office Supervisors to ensure consistent staffing levels, equipment availability, and supply chain management across all sites.
5. Partners with RN Manager to ensure Front Office and Medical Assistants are aligned in team-based care practices to support patient flow.
6. Oversees the equipment management process to ensure that all clinical and non-clinical equipment is properly maintained and repaired as needed; ensures that all equipment-related activities are properly documented.
7. Facilitates cross-site communication to share best practices, address operational challenges, and promotes a unified approach to primary care service delivery.
8. Creates and enforces standardized procedures across clinics to enhance efficiency and comply with regulations.
9. Oversees development and sustainability of Language Services program.
10. Provides management support to Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) team as needed.

Staff Leadership and Development:

1. Guides Front Office Supervisors on operational management, distinct from their daily staff and patient scheduling duties.
2. Oversees Supervisors in recruitment, hiring, and orientation of new Front Office staff in a standardized approach.
3. Works with Supervisors to conduct annual performance evaluations and develop individualized staff development plans.
4. Develops training programs for staff on compliance and efficiency.
5. Conducts regular meetings with Front Office Supervisors to review performance metrics and address operational challenges.
6. Partners with Operations leadership to support staff training on best practices and workflows.
7. Manages disciplinary processes and resolves escalated staff issues to support supervisors in maintaining team morale.

Collaboration and Community Engagement:

1. Provides leadership and mentorship to Front Office Supervisors, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
2. Acts as a liaison between Primary Care Operations and other departments, such as finance, human resources, and information technology, to support integrated care delivery.
3. Collaborates with the COO to ensure operational support for clinical initiatives, such as Mobile Medical Unit, Telemedicine, or community outreach programs.
4. Partners with the COO and service line managers to implement consistent procedures and quality standards across clinics.
5. Supports the Mobile Medical Unit Coordinator to optimize mobile van utilization, ensuring effective outreach to rural and underserved areas.
6. Engages with internal service lines, including Dental, Pharmacy, Behavioral Health/Psychiatry, to develop interdisciplinary care models for whole-person care.
7. Builds and maintains partnerships with community organizations, local health departments and agencies, and other stakeholders to promote access to care.
8. Represents primary care and specialty services at community events as needed.

Quality Improvement and Compliance:

1. Ensures all clinics comply with operational regulations, including those related to facility management, safety, and waste disposal, in coordination with Associate Medical Director’s and RN Manager’s clinical compliance efforts.
2. Implements and monitors quality improvement initiatives focused on operational processes, such as patient flow, appointment scheduling, and billing accuracy.
3. Oversees the medical, eye care, and chiropractic billing and collections process, working with the Billing Department to ensure timely and accurate claims and coding.
4. Conducts regular site audits to assess operational performance, identify gaps, and implement corrective actions.
5. Ensures clinics comply with federal, State, and local regulations, including HRSA, HIPAA, OSHA, DHCS, and CDPH through regular audits and procedure updates.
6. Works with Chief Operations Officer and the Chief Compliance Officer to oversee the resolution of escalated patient complaints and incident reports, ensuring timely, professional responses per EDCHC’s policies, and analyze trends to prevent recurrence.
7. Prepares and presents comprehensive reports on key performance indicators, such as patient satisfaction, clinic productivity, and financial metrics, to leadership with recommendations on actionable improvements.
8. Ensures staff training on compliance updates and quality improvement processes, coordinating with Front Office Supervisors to maintain consistent standards across clinics.

Financial and Performance Management:

1. Assists in developing the annual Primary Care department budget, including MMU and Specialty Services.
2. Contributes to setting financial and productivity targets for primary care, including annual patient visits, revenue per visit, visits per provider, and cash collection.
3. Generates regular reports to track productivity metrics, such as number of visits, schedule utilization, and provider-specific activity, to evaluate performance against goals.
4. Monitors payer mix to ensure it supports the financial sustainability of the primary care service line, adjusting strategies as needed.
5. Conducts regular meetings (weekly or monthly) with staff to review progress toward departmental goals and address operational or financial challenges.
6. Closely monitors systems integrating front office, providers, and billing to optimize scheduling, eligibility documentation, co-pay and outstanding balance collection, registration and insurance verification, and claims submission/reconciliation processes.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
Knowledge of:

• Healthcare operations in an FQHC or community health center setting
• Regulations governing FQHC clinics, including HRSA, OSHA, and Medi-Cal
• Patient-centered care and multi-site clinic management
• Budget management and grant compliance
• Cultural competency for underserved populations
• Principles of personnel training, supervision, evaluation, and corrective action

Skills in:

• Leading diverse teams to meet organizational goals
• Communication with staff, patients, and community partners
• Problem-solving in a fast-paced environment
• Analyzing data for performance improvement
• Managing multiple projects and tasks

Ability to:

• Develop policies to enhance operations and care
• Provide proactive, positive, and professional leadership
• Collaborate and work respectfully and effectively with clinical team, patients, and administrative leaders
• Communicate both orally and in writing in a professional manner
• Adapt to changing priorities
• Maintain compliance with regulatory standards

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

Experience:

• Three years minimum supervisory experience in medical office setting; FQHC experience preferred
• Multi-site management and team leadership experience preferred
• Computer literacy required with Microsoft Office and experience with utilization of electronic practice management and electronic health record systems required

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, business administration, or public health preferred
• High School Diploma or equivalent required

Physical Requirements:
Normal health center/interior office, mobile medical van, and clinic environment. Occasional outdoor marketing events. Communicate, discern, detect, walk or move about, sit and/or stand for long periods of time, reach, stoop, bend, lift up to 50 lb. Requires repetitive hand movement; use and view a computer; also operate fax, copier, and telephone. Ability to observe and work with patients in the clinic setting. Ability to drive and operate a car.