Location: Remote
Employment Type: Full-time, salaried | Schedule: Monday–Friday, standard business hours
Reports To: Associate Vice President
Position Summary
Animo Sano Psychiatry seeks an experienced, patient-focused Practice Manager to oversee administrative and business operations across its growing outpatient behavioral health practice. This role supports operational efficiency, patient experience, financial stewardship, vendor partnerships, state and office expansion, compliance, and employee relations. The Practice Manager is expected to manage priorities independently, anticipate deadlines, recommend solutions, and coordinate effectively with leadership, clinicians, department managers, and external partners.
Practice Operations and Workflow Management
- Oversee and improve administrative workflows supporting intake, scheduling, insurance verification, patient records, billing coordination, and patient access; coordinate functional ownership with department managers.
- Monitor practice performance, workflow barriers, provider capacity, and operational data; implement approved improvements and coordinate cross-department handoffs.
- Create and maintain practice-wide SOPs, policies, and platform documentation; transition department-specific SOP ownership to the appropriate team manager.
- Create approved accounts for new operational platforms, maintain appropriate access and documentation, and coordinate transition to the staff responsible for ongoing administration.
- Lead assigned operational projects with clear timelines, accountability, status updates, and proposed solutions.
Patient Experience and Escalations
- Promote responsive, patient-centered service and oversee timely handling of escalated patient calls, emails, and EHR messages requiring management attention.
- Coordinate resolution of complex patient and provider operational concerns with department managers and leadership; document and escalate clinical or compliance matters appropriately.
- Support patient communications concerning practice or location changes.
Vendor Partnerships and Contract Administration
- Develop and maintain vendor-facing partnerships, serve as an operational liaison, monitor vendor deliverables, and coordinate resolution of service issues.
- Maintain an organized inventory of vendor contracts, renewal dates, business associate agreements where applicable, and related correspondence.
- Coordinate contract reviews, negotiations, renewals, and execution through leadership and designated legal reviewers; track approved commitments and costs.
Insurance, Risk, and Provider Tracking
- Serve as administrative liaison with brokers/carriers for provider and location updates, claims-related documentation, and follow-up; promptly escalate substantive risk matters.
- Coordinate legal consultation and routing of employee contracts with HR and leadership; do not independently provide legal advice or approve contractual terms.
Office Locations, Facilities, and State Expansion
- Identify and research office space or approved business-address options in each operating state, including locations needed for in-person care and credentialing; present cost and operational comparisons to leadership.
- Coordinate approved office acquisition and setup, including lease documentation, rent arrangements, utilities, registrations, inspections, and applicable state/local requirements.
- Maintain existing locations landlord/vendor communications, location-specific handbooks or operating requirements, and compliance calendars.
- Develop state/location launch checklists; coordinate with leadership, legal/compliance, credentialing, and clinical teams to validate requirements and assign ownership.
- Track applications, renewals, deadlines, office transitions, and location closures; ensure complete records and timely handoffs.
Policies, Compliance, and Quality Assurance
- Maintain and coordinate updates to applicable operational policies, including patient service, records management, HIPAA, billing, collections, and quality assurance.
- Monitor adherence to approved workflows and escalate possible compliance issues to the designated leadership or professional advisor.
- Coordinate documentation and administrative follow-through on regulatory, payer, licensing, and insurance requirements without substituting for clinical, legal, or credentialing judgment.
Team Leadership and Employee Relations
- Provide day-to-day leadership, clear expectations, training, coaching, feedback, and accountability to assigned administrative team members.
- Help coordinate team meetings and manage calendar events.
- Support recruitment, selection, onboarding, performance reviews, retention, and staffing planning in partnership with HR and leadership.
- Serve as a management contact for employee relations matters, including listening to staff concerns, addressing routine workplace issues, documenting concerns, and collaborating with HR on performance, attendance, conflict resolution, and corrective action.
- Escalate sensitive complaints, investigations, protected-leave/accommodation matters, and legal concerns to HR; maintain appropriate confidentiality and follow company procedures.
- Support positive team culture, effective communication, and professional collaboration across remote and in-person teams.
Employee Experience Lead
- Lead the Culture Committee and coordinate recognition, nominations, kudos initiatives, milestone celebrations, and employee appreciation.
- Plan and coordinate virtual/in-person team events, holiday activities, and opportunities for connection.
- Prepare employee-facing culture communications and promote consistent, inclusive recognition across the organization.
Leadership Communication and Reporting
- Provide regular written and verbal updates on operations, budget items, vendor matters, locations, deadlines, employee relations trends, and projects.
- Bring leadership both identified issues and practical recommended solutions, including options, costs, risks, and decisions needed.
- Maintain organized trackers and follow through independently on approved actions and escalations.
- Coordinate and prepare all staff weekly updates and monthly newsletters.
Required Qualifications
- Associate degree in business, healthcare administration, office management, or equivalent directly related experience.
- At least three years in healthcare, medical practice, or direct patient service and two years of supervisory/team-lead/management experience.
- Familiarity with revenue-cycle processes, medical billing, insurance, HIPAA, EHR/practice-management systems, and operational reporting.
- Strong independent project management, problem-solving, financial administration, communication, discretion, and remote-team leadership skills.
- North Carolina residency and ability to travel occasionally to the Durham office.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field; experience in psychiatry, behavioral health, or multi-state outpatient healthcare.
- Experience with AdvancedMD, vendor and contract administration, facilities/location launches, budgeting, and third-party billing/credentialing partners.
Work Location and Schedule
Primarily remote during standard Monday–Friday business hours, with occasional travel to 5501 Fortunes Ridge Drive, Suite P, Durham, NC 27713, or other approved practice locations as operationally necessary.
Mission, Values, and Additional Information
The Practice Manager is expected to model Animo Sano Psychiatry’s mission and values through professionalism, compassion, integrity, accountability, and a commitment to accessible, high-quality behavioral healthcare. This description summarizes primary responsibilities and may evolve with organizational needs. Animo Sano Psychiatry is an equal-opportunity employer.
