Director | Patient Financial Clearance

15 Gundersen Lutheran Admin Svcs; Wisconsin; Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Gundersen Health System in Wisconsin offers the Director of Patient Financial Clearance a hybrid work arrangement. You will lead Prior Authorization, Self-Pay AR, Estimates, and Financial Counselors to improve patient experiences and ensure compliance.

As a senior leader, you will set performance metrics, partner with clinical and IT teams, and drive end-to-end revenue cycle improvements to deliver measurable results for patients and the organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in healthcare, hospital administration, business, or related field.
• 5–7 years of demonstrated healthcare leadership experience in patient billing, financial counseling, and revenue cycle management.
• Strong leadership, policy development, and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop managers and staff through coaching, mentoring, and professional growth.
• Set and monitor performance measures across the revenue cycle process.
• Partner with clinical, financial, ITDS, and Revenue Cycle leadership to achieve financial goals.
• Develop and implement policies and workflows that improve patient financial clearance.
• Work closely with clinical departments and business office staff to resolve patient financial concerns quickly and effectively.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and internal policies related to patient financial counseling and clearance.
• Review financial data to identify trends, measure effectiveness, and guide decisions.
• Build and maintain relationships with insurance payers and external partners to support accurate benefit verification.
• Oversee staff education and training on prior authorization policies, procedures, and best practices.
• Create and improve processes that reduce turnaround times and strengthen the prior authorization workflow.

Skills

Healthcare leadership

Revenue cycle management

Patient billing

Financial counseling

Team development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in healthcare, hospital administration, business, or related field

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

Director | Patient Financial Clearance

Love + medicine is who we are, it's what we do, it's why people want to work here.

Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40.

Location: Hybrid. Candidates should live within a reasonable distance of Green Bay or La Crosse, WI for occasional on-site needs.

We’re looking for a leader who can strengthen the patient financial clearance experience from start to finish.

The Director of Patient Financial Clearance will oversee daily operations for Prior Authorization, Self-Pay Accounts Receivable, Estimates, and Financial Counselors.

This role provides leadership, direction, and support to improve team performance, streamline workflows, and create a better experience for patients, families, and internal partners.

The right candidate brings strong healthcare revenue cycle leadership, a track record of building high-performing teams, and the ability to partner across clinical, financial, and ITDS teams.

This leader will help ensure patients understand their financial responsibility before treatment, while also driving compliance, operational excellence, and measurable results.

What you’ll do

• Lead and develop managers and staff through coaching, mentoring, and professional growth.
• Set and monitor performance measures across the revenue cycle process.
• Partner with clinical, financial, ITDS, and Revenue Cycle leadership to achieve financial goals.
• Develop and implement policies and workflows that improve patient financial clearance.
• Work closely with clinical departments and business office staff to resolve patient financial concerns quickly and effectively.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and internal policies related to patient financial counseling and clearance.
• Review financial data to identify trends, measure effectiveness, and guide decisions.
• Build and maintain relationships with insurance payers and external partners to support accurate benefit verification.
• Oversee staff education and training on prior authorization policies, procedures, and best practices.
• Create and improve processes that reduce turnaround times and strengthen the prior authorization workflow.

What you’ll bring

• Bachelor’s degree in healthcare, hospital administration, business, or a related field.
• Master’s degree in a related field preferred.
• 5 to 7 years of demonstrated healthcare leadership experience in patient billing, financial counseling, and revenue cycle management.

Leadership expectations

• Set direction and align operational plans with organizational strategy.
• Manage resources responsibly and support fiscal accountability.
• Recruit, develop, motivate, and retain a strong team.
• Deliver excellent service, quality, and patient experience.
• Lead through collaboration and support system-wide initiatives.
• Maintain accountability for regulatory requirements.
• Serve as a liaison to the community.

Benefits Package

• We offer a comprehensive benefits package that varies based on your location. To learn more about the specific benefits available in your area, please inquire with the recruiter during the application process.

Remote Work Opportunity

This position is eligible for hybrid work. However, candidates must be residents of Wisconsin (WI), Iowa (IA), Michigan (MI), or Minnesota (MN) at the time of hire. Candidates will ideally live within a reasonable driving distance to La Crosse or Green Bay, WI.

Why join us

Equal Opportunity Employer. Around here, loving your job is part of the job. Join our mission in changing healthcare while finding a career you’ll love! Gundersen Health System offers a proud, local history spanning more than 100 years.

Our personalized patient care model is only the beginning of what you will experience as we foster population health transformation and innovation to serve our communities and you.

We’ve made it a priority to enrich the lives of our employees as they find a career they love. Using each employee’s unique talents and passions, Gundersen is committed to delivering exceptional patient and family‑centered care to the communities we serve.

You can be part of an exciting, highly adaptable and mission‑driven organization with a work environment that supports you personally and professionally and a work culture where you are valued and appreciated offering an employee‑first culture, work‑life balance, and career advancement & growth opportunities. This culture allows our organization to attract elite talent, like yourself!

What You Can Expect

• Empowerment to shape your work environment, encouragement to improve processes and create efficiencies, and support when seeking opportunities for growth.
• Culture that encourages self‑care and provides you with opportunities to be your best self at work and at home.
• Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits packages, as applicable, ensuring your comfort and well‑being as a valuable team member.
• Support for your career growth through Professional Development Opportunities, our Tuition Investment Program, Career Development Center, and online continuing education courses.

Inside our walls and our neighborhoods, we deliver world‑class medical care and the right amount of love. We call it LOVE + MEDICINE and it’s more than our practice. It is who we are. Gundersen Health System, based in La Crosse, WI, is the leading provider of primary and specialized care in western Wisconsin, southeast Minnesota, and northeast Iowa; serving more than 500,000 residents throughout 22 counties.

Our physician‑led, not‑for‑profit healthcare system includes a 325‑bed teaching hospital, tertiary referral center, and Level II Trauma Center; community clinics; 6 affiliate critical access hospitals; nursing homes; behavioral health services; vision centers; pharmacies; and air and ground ambulance services. Together, we inspire your best life by relentlessly caring, learning, and innovating.

We deliver Love + Medicine every day to change lives in our communities and enrich the lives of our employees. Select Remote/Hybrid Eligible under More search to see our remote‑eligible openings. A rewarding career and an excellent quality of life awaits you. Learn more about our excellence in patient care, education, research, culture, and something we call Love + Medicine at www.gundersenhealth.org/careers/life.