Patient relations director vs department director

The differences between patient relations directors and department 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 department director. Additionally, a department director has an average salary of $97,804, 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 department director are patient care, patients, and healthcare.

Patient relations director vs department director overview

	Patient Relations Director	Department Director
Yearly salary	$94,921	$97,804
Hourly rate	$45.64	$47.02
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	91,308	73,424
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
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 department director do?

A Department Director spearheads and oversees the operations of a department, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Although their responsibilities vary upon the functions of a department, they typically have the power to decide on projects and programs. Their responsibilities include setting goals, establishing budgets and guidelines, representing the department at meetings and media coverages, liaising with external business partners, managing staff, and monitoring the progress of operations. Moreover, a Department Director leads and encourages staff to reach goals while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Patient relations director vs department director salary

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

	Patient Relations Director	Department Director
Average salary	$94,921	$97,804
Salary range	Between $61,000 And $145,000	Between $64,000 And $148,000
Highest paying City	North Las Vegas, NV	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Nevada	New Jersey
Best paying company	AstraZeneca	Anna Jaques Hospital
Best paying industry	Health Care	Finance

Differences between patient relations director and department director education

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

	Patient Relations Director	Department Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common major	Nursing	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Patient relations director vs department director demographics

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

	Patient Relations Director	Department Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 25.0% Female, 75.0%	Male, 52.8% Female, 47.2%
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, 10.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.3% Asian, 7.9% White, 62.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between patient relations director and department 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.

Department director example responsibilities.

Manage and direct bureau operations, and provide oversight of criminal investigations of statewide importance.
Establish and develop relationships with ERP and consulting vendors with the goal of maximizing comparative advantage and cost efficient solution development.
Ensure compliance with all CMS regulations.
Provide public education in the areas of fire department capabilities and history as well as CPR classes.
Follow up and coordination of rehabilitation services.
Cross-Train pre-operative and PACU staff to optimize efficiency.

Patient relations director vs department 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 department director skills

Patient Care, 15%
Patients, 14%
Healthcare, 13%
Oversight, 8%
Human Resources, 5%
Payroll, 4%

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Patient Relations Director
Patient Relations Director vs Department Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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