Manager of Rehabilitation Services in Schenectady , New York at Ellis Medicine

The Manager of Rehabilitation Services provides operational, clinical, financial, and administrative leadership for Rehabilitation/Therapy Services. Reporting directly to the Chief Nursing Officer, the Manager is accountable for the safe, effective, compliant, and financially responsible delivery of rehabilitation services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology services, as applicable. The Manager establishes departmental priorities, aligns staffing and resources with patient volume, leads workforce recruitment and development, monitors quality and productivity, and advances program growth in collaboration with nursing, medical staff, case management, finance, human resources, and other organizational partners. The Manager may provide limited direct patient care when necessary to support urgent operational needs, but the primary function of the position is departmental leadership and management.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT(S):

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech-language pathology program required.
• Master's or doctoral degree in a rehabilitation discipline, healthcare administration, business administration, or a related field preferred.
• Current, unrestricted New York State professional license or certification in the applicable rehabilitation discipline required.
• Minimum of six (6) years of progressive clinical experience in a hospital, health system, rehabilitation center, or comparable setting required.
• Two (2) years formal leadership experience with responsibility for staff supervision, operations, performance management, or program oversight required; management experience preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of rehabilitation operations, clinical documentation, billing and reimbursement requirements, productivity management, regulatory compliance, and performance improvement.
• Strong financial, analytical, organizational, communication, and interdisciplinary leadership skills required.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POSITION:

Leadership and Department Operations

• Directs the day-to-day and long-range operations of Rehabilitation/Therapy Services and ensures alignment with Ellis Medicine's strategic, clinical, and financial priorities.
• Establishes departmental goals, policies, procedures, workflows, and performance expectations; interprets and consistently applies organizational and departmental standards.
• Maintains visible leadership presence and serves as the primary administrative resource for departmental staff, patients, families, providers, and organizational leaders.
• Leads department and interdisciplinary meetings, communicates operational priorities, and ensures timely follow-through on identified issues.
• Collaborates with the Chief Nursing Officer on service planning, resource needs, operational risks, and program performance.

Workforce Management and Staff Development

• Maintains accountability for workforce planning, position control, recruitment, interviewing, selection, orientation, retention, scheduling, timecard approval, and appropriate staffing deployment based on volume and service needs.
• Provides direct supervision, coaching, corrective action, and performance evaluation for assigned staff in accordance with organizational policy and applicable collective bargaining agreements.
• Verifies and monitors professional licensure, competencies, mandatory education, health requirements, and other regulatory or human resources requirements for departmental personnel.
• Promotes staff engagement, interdisciplinary teamwork, professional development, succession planning, conflict resolution, and independent clinical reasoning appropriate to each employee's role and competency.
• Coordinates discipline-specific orientation, continuing education, student programs, academic affiliations, and clinical learning experiences.

Clinical Quality, Safety, and Regulatory Compliance

• Ensures rehabilitation services are delivered in accordance with applicable New York State requirements, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requirements, The Joint Commission standards, payer requirements, professional standards, and Ellis Medicine policies.
• Monitors clinical documentation, billing records, plans of care, evaluations, reevaluations, treatment practices, and discharge processes for accuracy, timeliness, medical necessity, and regulatory compliance.
• Leads performance improvement activities, including data collection, analysis, action planning, sustainment, and reporting related to quality, safety, patient outcomes, patient experience, and operational performance.
• Ensures timely review, investigation, documentation, escalation, and follow-up of patient or staff safety events, complaints, grievances, and identified compliance concerns.
• Maintains oversight of clinical competencies and supports appropriate assessment, treatment, and communication across the age groups and patient populations served by the department.
• Recognizes and addresses inappropriate referrals, barriers to care, delays in service, and risks affecting safe transitions or discharge planning.

Financial and Productivity Management

• Develops, monitors, and manages the departmental operating budget in collaboration with the Chief Nursing Officer and Finance.
• Monitors labor utilization, worked hours, productivity, staffing efficiency, volume, revenue, expenses, supplies, equipment, charge capture, denials, and other key operational indicators.
• Aligns schedules and staffing plans with patient volume and service demand using established productivity and hours-per-unit-of-service measures.
• Identifies and implements corrective actions when performance varies from budget, productivity, quality, access, or service expectations.
• Evaluates requests for equipment, technology, supplies, and capital resources and supports responsible resource utilization.

Access, Care Coordination, and Service Excellence

• Oversees referral intake, prioritization, scheduling, and therapy response times to support timely evaluation, treatment, discharge, and continuity of care.
• Collaborates with physicians, advanced practice providers, nursing, case management, social work, utilization management, screeners, and external partners to resolve barriers and facilitate efficient patient progression.
• Responds promptly and professionally to patient, family, provider, payer, and case manager questions or concerns.
• Promotes service excellence, patient-centered communication, and a consistent experience across all rehabilitation disciplines and service locations.

Program Development and Organizational Partnership

• Identifies, evaluates, and implements opportunities for program development, service expansion, improved access, operational redesign, and community or physician outreach.
• Uses quality, volume, financial, workforce, and market information to support recommendations for rehabilitation service growth and improvement.
• Supports departmental and organizational marketing, education, and community initiatives as appropriate.
• Builds effective working relationships with vendors, academic programs, volunteers, and external agencies consistent with organizational policy.
• Participates in organizational committees, leadership forums, emergency preparedness activities, and other initiatives as assigned by the Chief Nursing Officer.

Professional and Compliance Responsibilities

• Maintains current professional licensure and required credentials and completes all mandatory education and health requirements.
• Maintains confidentiality of patient, employee, financial, and departmental information in accordance with HIPAA and organizational policy.
• Adheres to the Ellis Medicine Corporate Compliance Plan, Code of Conduct, safety standards, risk management requirements, and all applicable policies and procedures.
• Performs other duties as assigned to support departmental and organizational needs.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Work is primarily performed indoors in a healthcare environment. The position requires the ability to communicate effectively, use standard office and clinical information systems, remain stationary or mobile for reasonable periods, and perform routine manual tasks. When providing clinical assistance or direct patient care, the Manager must be able to meet the physical requirements of the applicable rehabilitation discipline, including assisting with patient mobility and moving equipment in accordance with safe patient handling practices and departmental policy. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals to perform the essential functions of the position.

Ellis Medicine is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, and will prohibit, discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, sex/gender (including pregnancy), age, national origin, disability (including pregnancy-related conditions), genetic information, predisposition or carrier status, military or veteran status, prior arrest or conviction record, marital or familial status, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender identity, gender expression, reproductive health decisions, domestic violence victim status, known relationship or association with any member of a protected class, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law violates federal, state and, where applicable, local laws , reproductive health decisions or source of payment, consistent with applicable legislation and to comply with the laws pertaining thereto.

Salary Range: $47.28-$70.92 /hour Pay is based on experience, skills, and education. Exempt positions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) will be paid within the base salary equivalent of the stated hourly rates. The pay range may also vary within the stated range based on location.