Patient relations director vs clinical manager

The differences between patient relations directors and clinical managers 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 manager. Additionally, a patient relations director has an average salary of $94,921, which is higher than the $84,066 average annual salary of a clinical manager.

The top three skills for a patient relations director include patients, patient care and patient safety. The most important skills for a clinical manager are patients, customer service, and home health.

Patient relations director vs clinical manager overview

	Patient Relations Director	Clinical Manager
Yearly salary	$94,921	$84,066
Hourly rate	$45.64	$40.42
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	91,308	81,863
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
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 manager do?

A clinical manager is responsible for monitoring medical procedures and administrative duties to ensure the smooth flow of operations in a healthcare facility. Clinical managers manage the facility's staffing needs, evaluate budget reports, assist healthcare professionals on administering medical duties, and develop strategic procedures to optimize treatments and maximize productivity. A clinical manager enforces strict sanitary and safety regulations for everyone's strict compliance. They also need to have excellent knowledge of the medical industry to promote medical processes and provide the highest quality care.

Patient relations director vs clinical manager salary

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

	Patient Relations Director	Clinical Manager
Average salary	$94,921	$84,066
Salary range	Between $61,000 And $145,000	Between $55,000 And $128,000
Highest paying City	North Las Vegas, NV	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Nevada	Rhode Island
Best paying company	AstraZeneca	Genentech
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between patient relations director and clinical manager education

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

	Patient Relations Director	Clinical Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Patient relations director vs clinical manager demographics

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

	Patient Relations Director	Clinical Manager
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 25.0% Female, 75.0%	Male, 22.6% Female, 77.4%
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, 11.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 8.0% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between patient relations director and clinical manager 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 manager example responsibilities.

Track and manage IRB approvals.
Lead a team of 25 patient service coordinators and receptionists.
Manage and lead teams consisting of multiple internal departments as well as CRO and other vendors.
Manage data for research project billing and accountability for drug study product in accordance with FDA regulations.
Manage studies in association with the lead CRA to ensure all project expectations and milestones are meet.
Manage all facets of daily operations relating to imaging services, radiation therapy, and medical oncology services.

Patient relations director vs clinical manager 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 manager skills

Patients, 19%
Customer Service, 8%
Home Health, 6%
Direct Patient Care, 5%
Quality Patient Care, 5%
Patient Education, 3%

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Patient Relations Director
Patient Relations Director vs Clinical Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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