Patient Experience Lead (Permanent, Full-Time)

Northumberland Hills Hospital; Cobourg; On-site; CAD 83,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job summary

An established healthcare provider is seeking a Patient Experience Lead to enhance patient engagement and satisfaction. This role focuses on building positive relationships between patients, caregivers, and healthcare teams, ensuring that every voice is heard and valued. The ideal candidate will leverage their emotional intelligence and critical thinking to navigate complex healthcare challenges, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative data to drive improvements. Join a dedicated team committed to providing exceptional care and fostering an inclusive environment where every patient experience matters.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in health-related disciplines with progressive responsibility.
• Experience in patient experience or relations in a healthcare setting.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate timely resolution of patient feedback and concerns.
• Support patient and family engagement in healthcare processes.
• Analyze experience data to identify improvement opportunities.

Skills

Emotional Intelligence

Critical Thinking

Healthcare System Knowledge

Data Analysis

Conflict Resolution

Interpersonal Skills

Communication Skills

Education

Undergraduate Degree in Healthcare

Graduate Degree (Asset)

Tools

Experience Measurement Software

Microsoft Office

Job description

Reference # 00916 Posted Wednesday, May 7th, 2025 at 12:00am Scope Public Applications Accepted Position Patient Experience Lead Department Patient Experience, Public Affairs & Strategic Partnerships Term Permanent, Full-Time Pay Hiring Range: $83,266 - $85,764

VALUES AND COMMITMENT

At Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH), our shared purpose is People First, and our core values of Integrity, Quality, Respect, Compassion and Teamwork are at the centre of who we are and what we do. We remain committed to sustaining an experienced workforce that reflects Northumberland Hills Hospital’s dedication to recognising everyone’s contributions and respecting everyone’s dignity, unique experience, and potential.

EQUITY AND ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT

Northumberland Hills Hospital remains respectful of all protected rights, in line with the grounds laid out by the Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC) and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we welcome applications from all qualified applicants and interests from racialized persons/persons of colour, Indigenous People of North America, women, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

We strive to make our entire hiring process as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants if needed. For any hiring related accommodation needs and/or requests please email us via [e-mail]. We do not use artificial intelligence in our hiring process.

LOCATION AND ABOUT NHH

Located approximately 100 kilometres east of Toronto, NHH delivers a broad range of acute, post-acute, outpatient and diagnostic services. Acute services include emergency and intensive care, medical/surgical care, obstetrical care and palliative care. Post-acute specialty services (PASS) include restorative care and rehabilitation. Mental health care, cancer and supportive care, dialysis and other ambulatory care clinics are offered on an outpatient basis through partnerships with regional centres and nearby specialists. NHH offers a full range of diagnostic services, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and mammography. The hospital serves the catchment area of west Northumberland County. A mixed urban and rural population of approximately 67,000 residents, west Northumberland comprises the Town of Cobourg, the Municipality of Port Hope, Alderville First Nation and the townships of Hamilton, Cramahe and Alnwick/Haldimand. NHH employs more than 850 people and relies on the additional support provided by physicians, midwives and volunteers. NHH is an active member of Ontario Health (East)—formerly the Central East Local Health Integration Network—and the Ontario Health Team of Northumberland. For more information, please visit nhh.ca or follow us on Facebook @northumberlandhillshosp, and LinkedIn Northumberland Hills Hospital.

Role Overview

The Patient Experience Lead will contribute to advancing NHH’s Shared Purpose, People First, and a culture where everyone feels valued, heard and supported. The Lead will use sound emotional intelligence, critical thinking and health system knowledge to support a positive relationship between the patient, their caregivers or designated representative, and the health care team, celebrating compliments and facilitating the timely resolution of concerns. At ease with the complexities of health care and the accountabilities within it, the Patient Experience Lead will use a mix of qualitative and quantitative inputs to sustain and build NHH strengths, identify opportunities for improvement, and help implement strategies and tactics to advance NHH’s Experience Framework and enable a consistent patient and caregiver experience reflective of hospital values. Working closely with NHH’s Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC), the Patient Experience Lead will be a connector between Quality, Patient Safety and Risk, Performance and Analytics, Ethics, Clinical Operations, Clinical Information/Privacy, Professional Practice, and Public Affairs, playing a leadership role in knowledge translation, building inputs, analyzing experience data, and supporting the use of this data throughout the organization for the purpose of continuous improvement.

Responsibilities Include But Are Not Limited To

Patient & Family Engagement (30% of Role)

• Serve as NHH’s Patient Relations Delegate for any concerns that cannot be resolved at the department level in step with NHH’s public commitments, receiving feedback, appropriately documenting feedback for action by NHH’s Quality, Patient Safety and Risk team and program leads
• Facilitate the timely resolution of patient and family/caregiver feedback, including inquiries, compliments and concerns, in collaboration with directors, managers, providers and others as appropriate, acting as a focused point of contact and support for patients/families/caregivers
• Explain policy, procedure and services to patients and families to build health system literacy
• Support and helps to grow NHH’s commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility across all patient/family interactions, including translation supports
• In ethically sensitive situations, including critical incidents, support patients, families and caregivers involved and attend meetings as requested to support communication and understanding
• Coordinate and participate in patient/family meetings to facilitate resolution, clarification of issues and/or information as required
• Act as a liaison with/to other providers/community contacts, in collaboration with the care team
• Support the sharing of patient / caregiver stories for the purpose of continuous improvement, and supports them through the process
• Maintain awareness of best practices and relevant legislation related to patient/family experience and reporting of same
• Share patient and family/caregiver compliments and ideas for improvement with directors, managers, direct care teams and others as appropriate, and supports implementation of improvement ideas
• Attend bi-monthly PFAC meetings and actively support agenda development, action follow-up and the evolution of core PFAC documents (Terms of Reference, Position Description, etc.); with the PFAC Chair, VP, Patient Experience, and program ‘buddies,’ supports the growth of PFAC engagement throughout the organization through inter-disciplinary collaboration
• Serve as NHH’s primary contact for the Ontario Patient Ombudsman Office, coordinating organizational responses
  
  

Staff, Provider & Volunteer Engagement (20% of Role)

• Serve as a resource for staff, leaders, physicians and volunteers to assist with receiving and documenting complex patient and family/caregiver concerns bringing consistency, objectivity and focused attention to this critical task
• Mentor staff, leadership, physicians and volunteers on patient/family engagement best practices and advises on education opportunities
• Work collaboratively with individuals or departments to minimize or resolve delays in service and provides status updates to patients and family/caregiver
• Work closely with Quality, Safety and Risk to bring sensitive situations to a timely and mutually satisfactory resolution
  
  

Quality and Clinical Excellence (10% of Role)

• Work closely with Quality, Patient Safety and Risk, Clinical Operations and other colleagues as appropriate to bring sensitive situations to a timely and mutually satisfactory resolution
• Attend Quality and Practice Committee (QPC) and Integrated Quality, Practice and Risk Committee (IQPRC) meetings
• Lead/support improvement projects as identified in collaboration with QPCs/clinical operations
• Support NHH compliance with Accreditation Canada standards and Required Safety Practices related to patient/family engagement
• Support a safe and just culture, collaborating with others to implement provincial and/or national patient safety initiatives at the organizational level
  
  

Culture & Leadership (20% of Role)

• Support the advancement of NHH’s Experience Framework, maximizing knowledge of evolving best practices through relevant communities of practice, including but not limited to The Beryl Institute, and celebrating successes
• Work with Quality, Patient Safety and Risk, Performance and Analytics, and PFAC to produce and cascade patient experience reports for departments, programs and the Board, ensuring complaint and compliment data is regularly analyzed, themed and reported to the organization and community to support continuous improvement of experience throughout the organization and focused effort should opportunities be identified
• With PFAC, encourage and develops processes to sustain consistent leader rounding and direct patient/family/caregiver engagement vis a vis experience
  
  

Policy & Measurement (20% of Role)

• Support NHH’s transition from interim experience measurement tools to permanent resource aligned with Ontario and international best practices, and the development of policy/guidelines necessary to sustain this work
• Serve on NHH’s Experience Measurement Working Group to support the completion of strategic priorities, monitoring of progress and phased implementation as appropriate
• Play a leadership role in experience knowledge translation, co-designing regular Experience Dashboard reports, and supporting the dissemination and use of this data throughout the organization for the purpose of awareness and continuous improvement
• Support the processes for acquiring appropriate benchmark data from comparable peers (and beyond), and—through the OHA, CIHI, etc.—reporting same from NHH
• Participate in appropriate provincial communities of practice to share and obtain knowledge for the benefit of NHH process improvement
  
  

Qualifications/Requirements

• Undergraduate degree in a relevant healthcare discipline (graduate degree—or active candidate for same—an asset).
• Experience in a patient experience or patient relations role in a health care setting.
• Experience with experience measurement software and reporting practices.
• Minimum 5 years in one or more health-related disciplines, including health administration, with evidence of progressive responsibility.
• Member in good standing of a professional regulatory body, an asset.
• Supplemental education/certification in conflict resolution, community / public engagement and/or facilitation, preferred.
• Education in LEAN methodology or equivalent, an asset.
• Strong personal alignment with NHH’s core values of Quality, Respect, Integrity, Teamwork and Compassion.
• Understanding of the healthcare system and familiarity with relevant legislation (Excellent Care for All Act, Public Hospitals Act, Health Care Consent Act, Personal Health Information Protection Act, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, Ontario Human Rights Code, etc.)
• Experience with analyzing data and preparing reports.
• Self-directed and able to juggle multiple accountabilities and multiple complex issues simultaneously while sustaining priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively, across programs and disciplines, build strong relationships and maintain partnerships with multiple interest groups.
• Strong understanding of and commitment to the basic principles of patient- and family-centred care and co-design, a process for intentionally connecting multiple interest holders for the purpose of sharing information and exchanging ideas to jointly develop or improve practices, policies and programs to enhance experience and meet accountabilities.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Excellent communicator, with the ability to explain complex subjects in plain language and resolve conflict swiftly.
• Track record of developing positive working relationships with diverse interest holders.
• Demonstrated attention to detail and adherence to policy and protocol to ensure that standards are met.
• Sound judgement with a demonstrated ability to work independently and take initiative.
• Professional and respectful attitude to patients, caregivers, volunteers, colleagues the public, and an instinct for positive public relations and effective, long-term working relationships.
• Proficient in the use of all Microsoft office products; knowledge of R/L solutions an asset.
  
  

Employment Requirements

Successful applicants are required provide a satisfactory vulnerable sector criminal reference check, that was complete less than one year from the date of hire. This requirement must be met within the first sixty (60) days of employment.

Additionally, to the above, successful applicants are also required to complete the Health Care Worker Health review process which includes providing an up-to-date immunization record to ensure compliance with the Ontario Hospital Association Communicable Diseases Surveillance Protocols within the first thirty (30) days of employment. Northumberland Hills Hospital operates a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for all staff.

Northumberland Hills Hospital may choose to conduct parts/all the hiring process virtually. Furthermore, we are a scent-free environment. When attending the hospital kindly refrain from wearing strongly scented fragrances.

We thank all those that express interest in this exciting position; kindly note that due to high volumes of interest, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.