Patient relations director vs clinical director

The differences between patient relations directors and clinical directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a patient relations director and a clinical director. Additionally, a clinical director has an average salary of $96,497, which is higher than the $94,921 average annual salary of a patient relations director.

The top three skills for a patient relations director include patients, patient care and patient safety. The most important skills for a clinical director are patients, patient care, and physical therapy.

Patient relations director vs clinical director overview

	Patient Relations Director	Clinical Director
Yearly salary	$94,921	$96,497
Hourly rate	$45.64	$46.39
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	91,308	83,232
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	6	6

What does a patient relations director do?

A patient relations director is primarily in charge of spearheading and overseeing the efforts in maintaining an active communication line between patients and health care providers. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies to improve client interactions, liaising with patients and their families, answering inquiries, and providing information assistance as needed. They must also address the concerns and issues raised by patients or families, resolving them promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, as a patient relations director, it is essential to lead and encourage staff to reach goals, all while implementing the hospital's policies and regulations.

What does a clinical director do?

A clinical director is a managing professional who manages the work of healthcare providers to ensure quality patient care is achieved. Clinical directors are responsible for organizational tasks such as adjusting staff schedules, explaining insurance benefits to the patients, and managing financial reports. They can work either in small clinics with a smaller workforce or larger hospitals with multiple departments. Clinical directors may also assist in the hiring process of healthcare providers and should establish a positive work environment.

Patient relations director vs clinical director salary

Patient relations directors and clinical directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Relations Director	Clinical Director
Average salary	$94,921	$96,497
Salary range	Between $61,000 And $145,000	Between $63,000 And $145,000
Highest paying City	North Las Vegas, NV	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Nevada	Rhode Island
Best paying company	AstraZeneca	Sutro Biopharma
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between patient relations director and clinical director education

There are a few differences between a patient relations director and a clinical director in terms of educational background:

	Patient Relations Director	Clinical Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Patient relations director vs clinical director demographics

Here are the differences between patient relations directors' and clinical directors' demographics:

	Patient Relations Director	Clinical Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 25.0% Female, 75.0%	Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 7.1% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 8.1% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between patient relations director and clinical director duties and responsibilities

Patient relations director example responsibilities.

Manage oversight to joint commission and other regulatory requirements.
Lead interdisciplinary teams working on quality improvement initiatives and prepare for a JCAHO survey.
Coach staff on hospital systems such as CMS, IEX, CTI and TCS.
Maintain monthly reports, payroll, and budget.
Create bi-weekly schedule for staff, approve PTO's & vacation requests.
Cover shifts for outlying facilities when either PTO is taken or employees call out.

Clinical director example responsibilities.

Develop distinctive ambulatory strategies to achieve and sustain competitive healthcare advantage.
Manage and assist with data collection and input for MDS.
Manage quality of documentation through education and electronic review of clinical processes utilizing HCHB EMR.
Manage front office, marketing, and communication -demonstrated/supervise exercises for patients -Developed instructional packets for home exercise programs
Manage projects and ambulatory system initiatives, and collaborate with system leadership teams to ensure EMR alignment with all regulatory requirements.
Experience in GCP, FDA audits, and regulatory guidance review and implementation.

Patient relations director vs clinical director skills

Common patient relations director skills

Patients, 21%
Patient Care, 9%
Patient Safety, 7%
Revenue Cycle, 5%
Customer Service, 5%
Acute Care, 4%

Common clinical director skills

Patients, 18%
Patient Care, 11%
Physical Therapy, 5%
Social Work, 4%
Rehabilitation, 4%
Clinical Services, 3%

Patient Relations Director vs. similar jobs

Patient Relations Director related careers

Patient Relations Director related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Executive Management Industry
Patient Relations Director
Patient Relations Director vs Clinical Director

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse executive management jobs