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Patient Access Manager Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

We are seeking a strong Patient Access Manager with hospital-based Admitting experience to support and lead front-end operations across hospital admitting, ETC registration, and workflow optimization.

We are seeking a strong Patient Access Manager with hospital-based Admitting experience to support and lead front-end operations across hospital admitting, ETC registration, and workflow optimization.

The Supervisor is accountable to the Patient Access Manager or Director. The Supervisor guides staff in meeting customer's needs consistent with the Medical Center's philosophy, mission, vision and ...

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Patient Access Manager information

See California salary details

$16

$37

$94

How much do patient access manager jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 1, 2026, the average hourly pay for patient access manager in California is $37.12, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $23.94 and $36.78 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a patient access manager do?

As a patient access manager, you work in a hospital, overseeing the admissions and registration department. In this role, your job duties include training new staff members, enforcing health care policies, managing patient scheduling, and addressing patient concerns. You are accountable for the accuracy of all data collected in the admissions process. In the health care industry, there are many government regulations. You must make sure that all admissions processes comply before allowing access to health care services. To become a patient access manager, you may need a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration. However, you can find work without a degree. You also need 5 years of health care experience.

What does a patient access manager do?

A Patient Access Manager oversees the administrative processes that allow patients to enter a healthcare facility, such as scheduling, registration, insurance verification, and admissions. They ensure that these processes run smoothly and efficiently, so patients have a positive experience from the moment they arrive. Patient Access Managers also supervise staff, manage patient flow, and ensure compliance with healthcare regulations and privacy laws. Their role is critical to both the operational success of the healthcare facility and the satisfaction of its patients.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a patient access manager, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Patient Access Manager, you need expertise in healthcare administration, revenue cycle management, and a bachelor's degree in health administration or a related field. Familiarity with hospital information systems (HIS), electronic health records (EHRs), and insurance verification platforms is essential, with certifications like CHAM (Certified Healthcare Access Manager) being advantageous. Exceptional leadership, problem-solving, and customer service skills help manage teams and ensure a positive patient experience. These skills are crucial for optimizing patient intake processes, ensuring regulatory compliance, and enhancing overall operational efficiency in healthcare settings.

What are some common challenges faced by patient access managers, and how can they effectively address them?

Patient Access Managers often encounter challenges such as managing high patient volumes, ensuring accurate insurance verification, and maintaining compliance with healthcare regulations. Effective communication, strong organizational skills, and leveraging technology solutions can help address these issues. Building a well-trained team and fostering collaboration with clinical and administrative departments are also key to successfully navigating these challenges and ensuring a positive patient experience.

What is the difference between Patient Access Manager vs Patient Registration Coordinator?

AspectPatient Access ManagerPatient Registration Coordinator
CredentialsHigh school diploma or equivalent; some roles may prefer healthcare certificationsHigh school diploma or equivalent; healthcare experience beneficial
Work EnvironmentSupervisory role overseeing registration staff in hospitals or clinicsFrontline role interacting directly with patients during registration
ResponsibilitiesManaging patient access processes, staff supervision, ensuring complianceRegistering patients, collecting data, verifying insurance

The Patient Access Manager oversees the patient registration process, supervising staff and ensuring compliance, while the Patient Registration Coordinator handles the direct registration of patients. Both roles require similar credentials but differ in scope and responsibilities within healthcare facilities.

What are the most commonly searched types of Patient Access jobs in California?

The most popular types of Patient Access jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Patient Access Manager jobs?

Cities in California with the most Patient Access Manager job openings:

Infographic showing various Patient Access Manager job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 85% Full Time, 14% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 11% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $77,201 per year, or $37.1 per hour.

Senior Manager of Patient Access Services

Los Angeles, CA


UCLA Health
Health Care and Social Assistance • 10K+ employees

8.7

Company rating: 8.7 out of 10

Based on 137 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

6th of 898 rated healthcare providers

Great coworkers

People enjoy working here

Good employer


$80K - $168K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 26 days ago


Job description

Description

Patient Access Services

Lead patient access operations for Santa Monica Hospital, including registration, admissions, financial clearance, patient throughput, and revenue cycle accuracy. As the Senior Manager of Patient Access Services, you will oversee daily operations, staff performance, workflow quality, regulatory compliance, and process improvement efforts across hospital access functions. This role leads a large multi-level patient access team and partners with clinical, administrative, Patient Financial Services, and care coordination teams to resolve access issues, reduce denials and delays, and support a high standard of service for patients and families.

In this role, you will:

  • Lead day-to-day patient registration, admissions, and financial clearance workflows for hospital patients while supporting efficient patient throughput.
  • Provide real-time operational support and decision-making for complex or urgent patient access issues, workflow barriers, and patient flow concerns.
  • Serve as an escalation point for patient concerns related to registration, access, or estimates, partnering with Patient Experience as needed.
  • Manage staffing coverage, daily assignments, hiring, onboarding, training, performance evaluations, coaching, corrective action, and employee relations support.
  • Promote a team-oriented, patient-focused culture aligned with service standards, staff accountability, and professional development.
  • Identify process improvement opportunities that reduce registration errors, denials, delays, and operational barriers in patient access workflows.
  • Apply knowledge of payer requirements, reimbursement processes, regulatory standards, and HIPAA requirements to support compliance and protect revenue.
  • Monitor quality metrics and denial trends, participate in audits and regulatory readiness activities, and use data to guide training, reporting, workflow improvements, budget monitoring, resource planning, and operational decision-making.

Salary Range:

$80,700 to $168,500 annually

Qualifications

Required

  • Bachelor’s degree in business, healthcare administration, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
  • 5 or more years of progressively responsible experience in healthcare operations, including patient access services, admissions, registration, and revenue cycle functions.
  • 2 or more years of experience serving in a supervisory capacity within healthcare or patient access operations.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of patient access operations, including admissions, registration, and financial clearance.
  • Working knowledge of Epic systems, including Admission, Discharge, Transfer and hospital billing applications.
  • Knowledge of medical terminology, payer contract requirements, reimbursement processes, and federal and state healthcare regulations, including HIPAA requirements.
  • Ability to supervise staff, prioritize workflows, manage competing operational demands, and support staff accountability.
  • Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills to collaborate effectively with patients, families, staff, and multidisciplinary teams.
  • Experience using performance metrics, reporting, data-driven decision-making, problem-solving techniques, and quality improvement or process redesign methods to improve operations.

Preferred

  • Certified Healthcare Access Manager certification is preferred.
  • Healthcare Financial Management Association certification is preferred.
  • Lean or Six Sigma training or certification with a process improvement focus is preferred.
  • Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish is preferred.

UCLA Health logo

About UCLA Health

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

UCLA Health, operating within the healthcare industry, is significantly recognized for its commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of people through the integration of patient care, research, and education. Located in Los Angeles, California, UCLA Health was founded and associated with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1955, entrenching its roots in quality healthcare service provision. Through a broad range of medical services, UCLA Health significantly stands as a cornerstone for comprehensive outpatient, inpatient, and emergency care services, specialized treatments, and wellness checks. Notable for pioneering an integrated, comprehensive medical approach, UCLA Health is consistently ranked among the top health systems in the US and world.

Industry

Health care and social assistance

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Los Angeles, CA, US

Year founded

1955


What UCLA Health employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

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