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Patient Relations Specialist
This position will be primarily remote
POSITION DESCRIPTION:
The Patient Relations Specialist serves as the primary point of contact, front line representative and subject matter expert responsible for overseeing and managing patient experience. Acts as a liaison between patients and other health care service providers. Advocates for patient rights in accordance with external regulatory expectations to manage, evaluate and develop continuous improvements in response to direct and indirect patient and family feedback, ensuring resolution of all complaints and grievances and promotes quality relationships with all health system customers. This responsibility includes the day-to-day management of the event reporting process, monitoring event trends and collaborating with multiple departments and teams across Trinity Health IHA Medical Group to identify causal factors and implement modifications to prevent recurrences.
The Patient Relations Specialist is a highly visible and professional role responsible for leading initiatives supporting optimal patient and family experience outcomes. To be successful in this role, you must possess exceptional communication skills and the ability to adapt your style to various audiences and platforms.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:
- Collaborates, plans and directs activities related to the identification and resolution of patient/family or visitor complaints and grievances.
- Responds to patient grievances regarding allegations of patient discrimination (in collaboration with Patient Experience, Risk Management, Compliance, and other departments).
- Initiates preliminary review of patient concerns. Consults with and coaches department directors, managers, administrators and medical directors, to ensure that all patient complaints and grievances receive a timely, objective and thorough response.
- Provides written and verbal responses which address patient’s concerns clearly and concisely and that accurately reflect the organization’s response as the representative of TH IHAMG.
- Supports ongoing service and system improvements by analyzing data and information from patient and family feedback.
- Convenes the Grievance Committee to facilitate final resolution to serious complaints/grievances or complaints/grievances to which the complainant disagrees with findings.
- Responsible for maintaining policies and procedures related to complaint and grievance resolution, which ensure a high level of quality care and services are being delivered to the patients and families served by Trinity Health IHA Medical Group through patient relationships.
- Proactively communicates and collaborates with health system colleagues and leaders when evaluating data to identify trends and opportunities for improvement, leading or recommending Root Cause Analysis or project initiation, as appropriate.
- Works with various departments such as Human Resources, Quality/Safety/Risk Management, Nursing, Social Work and Marketing/Media Relations to address patient and family concerns that the patient/family feel have the potential for patient harm, that present the potential for legal liability, involve patient and family perception of patient injury or poor quality of care or matters affecting the image of the organization in the community.
- Monitors, appropriately triages and manages Patient Relations phone line and multiple electronic/email sources of patient complaint/feedback.
- Coaches managers and medical directors in the investigation process ensuring the principles of a fair and just culture are followed in the resolution of complaint/grievances. Identifies opportunities for service improvement and recommends interventions and education to prevent recurrence.
- Utilizes multiple electronic platforms to document and track/review patient concerns. Consults with and coaches providers and staff to ensure that all patient complaints and grievances receive timely and thorough response.
- In collaboration with Risk Managers, assists in completing investigations/analysis of patient and family complaints related to risk matters. Collaborates with Risk Managers to identify causal factors and recommend modification to policy.
- Engages managers as necessary to follow up on individual event response. Collaborates with managers to identify risk modification to prevent recurrence.
- Reviews incoming reported events and routes to appropriate team member for review and action.
- Monitors outstanding events for successful completion and closure. Queries managers and elevates delinquent events to support prompt response. Has decision-making authority on service complaints in coordination with the office manager and ensures an effective response.
- Promotes customer-focused service recovery practices system-wide through efficient and effective complaint resolution and through consultation and training of health system staff in service recovery techniques.
- Shares compliments received from patients and visitors with staff.
- Develops education and training tools related to Patient Relations for new hire orientation, as requested. Provides ongoing education to colleagues and providers to promote awareness and application of customer service/service recovery objectives in patient care.
- Generates department reports on new, in-process and closed events; analyzes data and identifies opportunities for improvement.
- Develops and performs education for staff/providers on Trinity Health/IHA Event Reporting System ensuring specified education is tracked and managed to completion. Elevates incomplete education sessions that are overdue to supervisors for assistance.
- Demonstrates effective crucial conversation and customer service skills while working with patients, managers and staff to ensure that the information is accurately gathered and resolved while supporting optimal patient and family experience outcomes.
- Performs department audits, as needed.
- Assures the confidentiality of information acquired that pertains to patients, physicians, associates and visitors of Trinity Health IHA Medical Group.
- Supports other offices, attends required meetings and training, and participates in committees, as requested.
- Serves as a liaison between patients, providers and administration by promoting quality relationships.
- Develops and delivers targeted and on-going education, collaboration and consultation to providers and staff to assist with addressing and mitigating barriers identified through patient complaints.
- Advocates for patient rights in accordance with IHA’s mission and values and abiding by regulatory expectations.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
ORGANIZATIONAL EXPECTATIONS:
- Creates and maintains a positive, professional, and service-oriented work environment for colleagues, providers, patients, and family members by supporting the mission and values of both IHA and Trinity Health.
- Must be able to work effectively as a member of the Culture & Experience team.
- Assumes responsibility for performance of job duties in the safest possible manner, to assure personal safety and that of coworkers, and to report all preventable hazards and unsafe practices immediately to management.
- Successfully completes IHA’s “The Customer® Program” and Stand Out 2.0 trainings, adhering to IHA’s standard of promptly providing a high level of service and respect to internal or external customers.
- Maintains knowledge of and complies with IHA standards, policies and procedures.
- Maintains knowledge of IHA office services and in the use of all relevant office equipment, computer and manual systems.
- Maintains strict patient and employee confidentiality in compliance with IHA and HIPAA guidelines.
- Serves as a role model by demonstrating exceptional ability and willingness to take on new and additional responsibilities.
- Uses resources efficiently.
- Responsible for ongoing professional development – maintains appropriate licensure/certification and continuing education credentials, participates in available learning opportunities.
MEASURED BY:
Performance that meets or exceeds IHA CARES Values expectation as outlined in IHA Performance Review document, relative to position.
ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS:
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, public relations, business administration or related field. In lieu of a degree, a combination of education and experience will be considered.
CREDENTIALS/LICENSURE: NA
MINIMUM EXPERIENCE: 5+ years’ progressively more responsible related work experience in health care. Work experience in patient advocacy or customer service preferred. 1 or more years’ work experience in an IHA office or comparable environment within IHA supporting excellent customer service, with prior administrative assistant experience.
POSITION REQUIREMENTS (ABILITIES & SKILLS):
- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills necessary to interact effectively, calmly and courteously with patients, physicians, staff and administration to develop cooperative working relationships to promote patient centered care. Ability to maintain non-biased perspective and neutral listening skills.
- Ability to focus on the speaker, listen for understanding, clarify needs and motivation and encourage speaker to verbalize intent, while maintaining a non-biased perspective and neutral listening skills.
- Crisis intervention and problem resolution skills. Ability to defuse defensive, challenging or threatening language, demeanor and behavior. Shows creativity and applies quality improvement methods to problem solving.
- Ability to advocate for patient rights in accordance with IHA’s mission and values and abiding by regulatory expectations.
- Demonstrates effective crucial conversation and customer service skills while working with patients, managers and staff to ensure that the information is accurately gathered and resolved while supporting optimal patient and family experience outcomes.
- Analytical skills necessary to collaborate with department heads, supervisors, senior management and others in evaluating problems and assessing the potential harm if they are not addressed. Ability to compile complex reports and develop presentations, maintaining accuracy and consistency.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills to present information clearly and persuasively. Ability to present sensitive information with tact, diplomacy and respect.
- Ability to work collaboratively in a team-oriented environment; displays courteous and friendly demeanor.
- Ability to work independently using developed sense of judgment and discretion. Able to organize workflow and plan, coordinate and develop multiple projects.
- Planning and organization skills, including needs assessment, goal setting, work plan design, coordination and evaluation.
- Ability to work effectively and maintain sound working relationships with colleagues at various levels of the organization and diverse populations including IHA staff and providers, family members, insurance carriers and vendors.
- Ability to multi-task and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment with a personal commitment to producing the highest quality work and providing extraordinary customer service.
- Familiarity with physician office or department basic services and hours of operation to respond to leadership requests accurately.
- Proficient in operating a standard desktop and Windows-based computer system, including but not limited to, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint Outlook, intranet and computer navigation. Ability to use other software as required while performing the essential functions of the job.
- Good organizational and time management skills to effectively juggle multiple priorities and time constraints.
- Ability to exercise sound judgement and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to handle patient and organizational information in a confidential manner.
- Successful completion of IHA competency-based program within introductory and training period.
- Knowledge of medical terminology to perform responsibilities a plus.
- Ability to travel to other office/practice sites and meeting and training locations.
MINIMUM PHYSICAL EXPECTATIONS:
- Physical activity that often requires keyboarding, filing and phone work.
- Physical activity that often requires extensive time working on a computer and/or standing.
- Physical activity that sometimes requires walking, bending, stooping, reaching, and/or twisting.
- Physical activity that sometimes requires lifting, pushing and/or pulling under 30 lbs.
- Specific vision abilities required include close vision, depth perception, peripheral vision and the ability to adjust and focus.
- Manual dexterity sufficient to operate a keyboard, photocopier, telephone, calculator and other office equipment.
- Must hear and speak well enough to conduct business over the telephone or face to face for long periods of time in English.
MINIMUM ENVIRONMENTAL EXPECTATIONS:
This job operates between working in a typical office environment and in conference rooms or other locations where training is conducted, both of which involve frequent interruptions and significant interaction with people which can be stressful at times.
Location: Central · Experience
Schedule: Full Time, 40 Hours
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