Patient relations director vs unit director

The differences between patient relations directors and unit 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 unit director. Additionally, a patient relations director has an average salary of $94,921, which is higher than the $74,346 average annual salary of a unit director.

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

Patient relations director vs unit director overview

	Patient Relations Director	Unit Director
Yearly salary	$94,921	$74,346
Hourly rate	$45.64	$35.74
Growth rate	28%	28%
Number of jobs	91,308	41,585
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
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 unit director do?

A unit director is a management professional who is responsible for directing and managing a group of medical professionals in an organization. This director must manage the daily clinical and administrative duties for those professionals involved in the mental health hospitalization programs. The director must assist in recruiting healthcare professionals to maximize the branch and margin profits of the medical establishment. This director should also attend meetings with the OCFS program to discuss the performance and outcome measures of the program.

Patient relations director vs unit director salary

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

	Patient Relations Director	Unit Director
Average salary	$94,921	$74,346
Salary range	Between $61,000 And $145,000	Between $42,000 And $131,000
Highest paying City	North Las Vegas, NV	Fairfield, CT
Highest paying state	Nevada	Connecticut
Best paying company	AstraZeneca	Palo Alto Networks
Best paying industry	Health Care	Manufacturing

Differences between patient relations director and unit director education

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

	Patient Relations Director	Unit Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Nursing	Nursing
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Patient relations director vs unit director demographics

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

	Patient Relations Director	Unit Director
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 25.0% Female, 75.0%	Male, 46.0% Female, 54.0%
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, 12.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 7.5% White, 60.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	12%	12%

Differences between patient relations director and unit 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.

Unit director example responsibilities.

Prepare and manage payroll and purchasing, which include balancing of accounts within budgetary limits; establish daily interaction with clients.
Manage operational organizing of stock and equipment, order supplies and oversee building maintenance, cleanliness and security.
Provide case management services to residents in the Alzheimer's unit.
Migrate all operations to a new ERP and retail system with a successful implementation.
Develop and implement a program which assure quality of life for mid- stage Alzheimer's residents.
Oversee labor, as well as, payroll, purchases, complete work orders, and operating supplies.

Patient relations director vs unit 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 unit director skills

Patients, 23%
Patient Care, 21%
Customer Service, 14%
Cleanliness, 7%
Staff Development, 6%
Customer Satisfaction, 5%

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Patient Relations Director
Patient Relations Director vs Unit Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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