Patient relations director vs patient account manager

The differences between patient relations directors and patient account 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 patient account manager. Additionally, a patient relations director has an average salary of $94,921, which is higher than the $70,777 average annual salary of a patient account manager.

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

Patient relations director vs patient account manager overview

	Patient Relations Director	Patient Account Manager
Yearly salary	$94,921	$70,777
Hourly rate	$45.64	$34.03
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	91,308	152,009
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
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 patient account manager do?

A patient account manager is responsible for supervising patient accounts, processing claims and payments, and resolving insurance discrepancies. Patient account managers coordinate with insurance companies to verify claims records and update patients' information in the database. They also handle the budget for the department and join the senior management in strategizing techniques to improve account operations and processes. A patient account manager must have excellent organizational and leadership skills, especially in managing disputes and assisting the patient account representatives with their inquiries and concerns.

Patient relations director vs patient account manager salary

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

	Patient Relations Director	Patient Account Manager
Average salary	$94,921	$70,777
Salary range	Between $61,000 And $145,000	Between $42,000 And $117,000
Highest paying City	North Las Vegas, NV	-
Highest paying state	Nevada	-
Best paying company	AstraZeneca	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between patient relations director and patient account manager education

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

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

Patient relations director vs patient account manager demographics

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

	Patient Relations Director	Patient Account Manager
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 25.0% Female, 75.0%	Male, 20.2% Female, 79.8%
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, 11.9% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 7.1% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between patient relations director and patient account 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.

Patient account manager example responsibilities.

Manage CLIA certify laboratory ensuring quality and proficiency standards of several non-waive proficiency tests.
Manage the credentialing of all new providers by ensuring that their Medicare and Medicaid applications are complete accurately and timely.
Manage all medical billing relate operations including insurance and Medicaid verification, coding, accounts receivable, billing and collections.
Manage major transformation by creating/designing and implementing new EHR operating system providing communications, training and technical support throughout the process.
Enter demographics and work on EOB's.
Move the general surgery clinic from one location to another on campus.

Patient relations director vs patient account 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 patient account manager skills

Patients, 22%
Customer Service, 13%
Patient Accounts, 10%
Revenue Cycle, 9%
Patient Care, 4%
Patient Registration, 4%

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Patient Relations Director
Patient Relations Director vs Patient Account Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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