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Patient relations director vs medical director

The differences between patient relations directors and medical 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 medical director. Additionally, a medical director has an average salary of $230,317, 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 medical director are patients, medical care, and medical services.

Patient relations director vs medical director overview

Patient Relations DirectorMedical Director
Yearly salary$94,921$230,317
Hourly rate$45.64$110.73
Growth rate28%28%
Number of jobs91,30875,810
Job satisfaction-4
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age4747
Years of experience66

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 medical director do?

A medical director is responsible for handling the overall supervision of different medical departments, managing the coordination between medical teams to ensure smooth operations and achieve high-quality care services for the patients. Medical directors enforce strict guidelines and safety measures for everyone's adherence. They also implement medical care programs, recruit medical staff, inspect the adequacy of medical equipment, respond to patient's inquiries and concerns, and oversee the facilities' procedures. A medical director manages the budget of the department, allocating equal resources to address every need.

Patient relations director vs medical director salary

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

Patient Relations DirectorMedical Director
Average salary$94,921$230,317
Salary rangeBetween $61,000 And $145,000Between $143,000 And $369,000
Highest paying CityNorth Las Vegas, NVSeattle, WA
Highest paying stateNevadaAlaska
Best paying companyAstraZenecaUnitedHealth Group
Best paying industryHealth CareInsurance

Differences between patient relations director and medical director education

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

Patient Relations DirectorMedical Director
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common majorNursingMedicine
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Patient relations director vs medical director demographics

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

Patient Relations DirectorMedical Director
Average age4747
Gender ratioMale, 25.0% Female, 75.0%Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%
Race ratioBlack 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, 11.0% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 7.9% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage12%12%

Differences between patient relations director and medical 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.
    • Show more

Medical director example responsibilities.

  • Manage OPD for acute injuries.
  • Manage patients with diabetes, hypertension and other medical problems.
  • Manage patients living with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other sexually transmit infections.
  • Manage hypertension and diabetes in elderly patients
  • Conduct psychiatry evaluations and treatment, manage co-occurring disorders.
  • Manage budget planning, forecasting and accruals for improve financial management.
    • Show more

Patient relations director vs medical 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 medical director skills
  • Patients, 12%
  • Medical Care, 7%
  • Medical Services, 6%
  • Utilization Review, 5%
  • Appeals, 5%
  • Internal Medicine, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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