[Hiring] Strategic Services Associate @Duke University

Role Description

Provider enrollment and billing/collections are an integral part of the revenue cycle, responsible for the accurate billing, follow-up, denial management, accounts receivable resolution, and collection of reimbursement for physician and hospital services provided across Duke Health. Through effective utilization of technology, standardized workflows, and performance improvement methodologies, our teams support financial performance and the overall patient financial experience.

The Strategic Services Associate supports the management team and acts as a liaison to stakeholders (service lines, clinic leadership, providers, revenue managers, information technology, and revenue cycle operational teams) across Hospital and Professional Billing and Collections as well as Provider Enrollment. This position supports growth initiatives, operational excellence, and revenue cycle transformation through the evaluation, design, and implementation of scalable workflows, automation strategies, reporting and analytics solutions, and system enhancements.

The role leverages operational and financial data to identify improvement opportunities, measure performance, support data-driven decision making, and drive operational efficiencies across billing and collections operations.

Duties and Responsibilities of this Level

• Performance Improvement & Solutions (60%)
  • Design and implement strategies to enhance billing and collections performance, reduce denials and write-offs, and improve reimbursement outcomes through the utilization of performance improvement methodologies and best practices.
  • Lead growth-related workflow design and operational readiness efforts to support new service lines, facilities, providers, and program expansions.
  • Evaluate operational workflows and identify opportunities to improve efficiency and scalability through technology, automation, system optimization, and process redesign.
  • Implement and maintain system solutions, automation tools, and workflow enhancements across Epic and related revenue cycle technologies.
  • Partner with operational and technical teams to translate business needs into sustainable system enhancements, configurations, and workflow improvements.
  • Support system upgrades, implementations, and enhancements through requirements gathering, testing, validation, and post-implementation optimization activities.
  • Analyze operational and claims performance data to identify root causes, recommend solutions, and measure outcomes.
  • Develop, maintain, and enhance operational reports, dashboards, and analytical tools to monitor performance, identify trends, evaluate workflows, and support strategic and operational decision making.
  • Develop and maintain policies, procedures, and training documentation related to projects, initiatives, system changes, and workflow enhancements.
  • Establish performance measurement strategies, departmental performance targets, and key performance indicators while monitoring outcomes related to automation, system optimization, growth initiatives, and operational effectiveness.
  • Maintain advanced knowledge of billing and collections operations and serve as a subject matter expert for billing and collections workflows, system capabilities, automation opportunities, reporting solutions, and performance improvement methodologies.
  • Develop, maintain, and enhance expertise in Epic and third-party vendor functionality to support recommendations on optimal workflows and operational performance.
• Collaboration (30%)
  • Maintain liaison relationships with service lines, clinic leadership, operational departments, information technology, and external partners as they relate to billing and collections operations.
  • Partner with operational leaders and stakeholders to identify opportunities for workflow optimization, standardization, automation, and innovation.
  • Communicate overall strategy for departmental improvement and collaborate with stakeholders to develop performance measures, reporting solutions, and plans to achieve operational objectives.
  • Serve as a project manager for interdisciplinary teams supporting system enhancements, automation initiatives, growth efforts, and operational transformation.
  • Educate stakeholders on billing and collections workflows, system capabilities, and best practices to improve adoption and performance outcomes.
  • Ensure adequate training, documentation, and change management support for new and evolving processes, system enhancements, and operational initiatives.
• Other Duties (10%)
  • Promote PRMO strategic vision, mission, and purpose while emphasizing accountability, innovation, collaboration, and results.
  • Support organizational diversity and equal treatment for all employees.
  • Create and foster a departmental culture that promotes continuous improvement, engagement, professional development, and employee retention.
  • Interact with and provide timely verbal and written responses to stakeholders, including patients, providers, payors, vendors, and departmental personnel.
  • Acknowledge management requests and communications in a professional and timely manner.
  • Attend meetings and participate in work culture initiatives, committees, and workgroups as assigned.
  • Accomplish all tasks as assigned.
  • Perform other related duties incidental to work described herein.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in a business or health-related field is required.
• Minimum of 5 years work experience, including 3 years of experience with significant responsibility for performance/process improvement.
• Experience leading work teams required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate with customers/staff with diverse educational backgrounds.
• Analysis of data and processes for opportunities for improvement.
• Ability to manage numerous diverse projects simultaneously through effective priority setting, efficient use of time, organization.
• Knowledge of revenue cycle operations.
• Attention to detail and accuracy.
• Computer literacy.

Company Description

Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation or military status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes.