Admissions & Discharges Office – Team Lead

Valley Hospital is seeking a highly organised and results-driven Team Lead to oversee the Admissions & Discharges Office. This is a pivotal operational role that sits at the intersection of patient experience, clinical workflow, and revenue cycle management. The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring that every patient journey — from pre-authorisation through to final discharge — is handled with precision, efficiency, and compassion.

Reporting to hospital management, the Team Lead will supervise a multi-shift team, manage insurance and corporate authorisation pipelines including SHA (Social Health Authority) processes, and drive continuous improvement in key performance metrics. This role demands a leader who thrives in a fast-paced healthcare environment and can balance administrative rigour with a patient-centred service culture.

• Oversee and review all outpatient pre-authorisation requests submitted to insurance, corporate companies, and SHA, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timely submission.
• Supervise the end-to-end inpatient authorisation process from initial submission through to approval, managing pending cases and escalating disputes as required.
• Maintain current knowledge of payer policies, SHA protocols, and benefit schedules to guide staff on correct claim coding and authorisation submissions.
• Monitor authorisation turnaround times and escalate delays impacting patient care or revenue flow to clinical or finance teams.
• Liaise directly with insurance case managers, corporate contacts, and SHA relationship officers to resolve disputes and manage complex, high-cost authorisations.
• Supervise admission of all referred patients from external facilities, ensuring proper documentation, clinical handover, and timely bed allocation.
• Manage the outpatient-to-inpatient conversion process, ensuring seamless transitions without disruption to patient experience or clinical workflow.
• Verify completeness of all admission documentation including referral letters, identification, eligibility checks, and guarantee or deposit letters.
• Coordinate with clinical, nursing, and housekeeping departments to manage bed availability and minimise patient waiting times.
• Ensure all admissions are captured accurately and in real time on the Hospital Management Information System (HMIS).
• Oversee the discharge process including final billing reconciliation, insurance sign-off, and collection of outstanding patient balances.
• Coordinate with nursing, pharmacy, and finance teams to resolve pre-discharge holds and confirm discharge summaries are complete.
• Monitor average length-of-stay data and work with clinical teams to reduce avoidable discharge delays.
• Directly supervise and performance-manage all Admissions & Discharges staff across all shifts, including weekends and public holidays.
• Prepare duty rosters ensuring adequate coverage; manage leave, absenteeism, and overtime within approved thresholds.
• Identify training needs and facilitate coaching and structured development to maintain team competency and service quality.
• Conduct regular team briefings and performance reviews, documenting outcomes and escalating HR matters appropriately.
• Track and report on key performance indicators including pre-authorisation approval rates, admission turnaround times, discharge clearance times, and revenue-at-risk metrics.

• Must demonstrate hands-on experience managing insurance pre-authorisation and authorisation workflows in a hospital or clinical setting, including SHA processes.
• Must be able to supervise and coordinate multi-shift teams, manage rosters, and resolve operational bottlenecks under pressure.
• Must possess working knowledge of Hospital Management Information Systems (HMIS) and be able to enforce real-time data capture discipline across the team.
• Must be capable of liaising confidently with insurance case managers, corporate HR contacts, and regulatory bodies to resolve disputes and negotiate extensions.
• Must demonstrate ability to interpret billing statements, understand medical coding basics, and coordinate final billing reconciliation at discharge.
• Must be able to generate and analyse departmental performance reports and present actionable insights to management.
• Must hold a diploma or degree in Health Records & Information Management, Business Administration, Health Systems Management, or a related field.
• Minimum 4 years of experience in a hospital admissions, health records, or patient services environment, with at least 1–2 years in a supervisory role.
• Strong interpersonal and conflict resolution skills to manage both patient-facing situations and internal team dynamics effectively.

Valley Hospital offers a competitive remuneration package commensurate with experience and qualifications. The estimated monthly salary range for this role is KES 80,000 – 140,000, based on market benchmarks for mid-to-senior healthcare administration professionals in Nairobi. Benefits are aligned with hospital HR policy and may include medical cover, performance incentives, and professional development support.

Ideal candidate: A seasoned hospital admissions or health records professional who has previously led a team in a busy private or faith-based hospital. You are meticulous with documentation, confident engaging insurers and SHA officers, and passionate about delivering a smooth patient experience from entry to exit. You are comfortable working across shifts and stepping in operationally when the team is stretched.

Do NOT apply if: You have no prior experience in a hospital admissions or patient services environment, if you have never managed insurance authorisation workflows, or if you are uncomfortable working on weekends, public holidays, or in a shift-based rota. This is not an entry-level administrative position.

To apply for the Admissions & Discharges Office – Team Lead position at Valley Hospital, follow these steps:

• Prepare an updated CV clearly outlining your experience in hospital admissions, insurance authorisation management, and team leadership.
• Write a concise cover letter addressed to the Human Resources Manager, Valley Hospital, highlighting your specific experience with SHA and insurance/corporate pre-authorisation processes.
• Submit your application through the Valley Hospital careers portal or the job platform where this posting was listed.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you do not hear back within 3 weeks of the application deadline, consider your application unsuccessful for this cycle.