Patient Experience Lead

University of Vermont Medical Center; Burlington (VT); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Vermont Medical Center is seeking a Patient Experience Lead responsible for directing Ambassadors, Circle Entrance Assistants, Welcoming Specialists, and Volunteers. You will manage staffing, workflows, and service standards in patient-facing areas to ensure smooth operations.

The role emphasizes coaching, mentoring, onboarding, and ongoing staff development, partnering with leadership to address performance and drive continuous improvement in patient experience.

Qualifications

• Two to three years of customer service experience in a healthcare or patient-focused setting.
• Ability to diffuse agitated customers/patients and handle stressful situations.
• Professional appearance and excellent verbal communication skills.
• Experience working with communities facing barriers to health care access.
• Compassionate handling of sensitive situations.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day leadership and staffing oversight for Ambassadors, ACC Circle Entrance Assistants, Welcoming Specialists, and Volunteers.
• Coach, mentor, and resolve staff and volunteer issues.
• Oversee onboarding, training, orientation, and ongoing staff development.
• Ensure service standards and continuous improvement across patient-facing areas.

Skills

Customer service

Verbal communication

Staff leadership

Education

Associate's degree preferred

Job description

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The Patient Experience Lead provides day-to-day leadership, direction, and operational oversight for Ambassadors, ACC Circle Entrance Assistants, Welcoming Specialists, and Volunteers. Serving as the frontline operational lead, this position is responsible for ensuring appropriate staffing, workflow management, service coverage, and consistent execution of service standards across patient-facing areas.

The Patient Experience Lead serves as the primary day-to-day resource for staff and volunteers, providing operational direction, coaching, mentoring, and problem resolution. The role prioritizes work activities, adjusts staffing assignments to meet operational needs, addresses service concerns in real time, and serves as the first point of contact for workflow, staffing, and operational issues.

This position provides leadership for onboarding, training, orientation, and ongoing staff and volunteer development. Working closely with operational partners, the Patient Experience Lead supports staff performance, reinforces accountability to service standards, and promotes a culture of service excellence, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

The Patient Experience Lead provides real-time operational oversight, monitors workflow and staffing needs, reallocates resources as appropriate, and resolves operational issues to maintain efficient and effective service delivery. The incumbent delivers ongoing coaching, mentorship, and performance feedback to staff and volunteers, while partnering with leadership to address performance concerns and support professional development.

The Patient Experience Lead proactively identifies opportunities to enhance processes, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen the patient, family, visitor, and staff experience. In the absence of the Patient Experience Manager, the incumbent assumes delegated operational responsibility to ensure continuity of services and successful execution of departmental priorities.

EDUCATION:

Associate's degree preferred or relevant work experience.

EXPERIENCE:

• Requires two to three years of experience in customer service in a healthcare setting or other customer-focused environment.

• Requires ability to diffuse agitated customers/patients and handle stressful situations.

• Must present oneself in a professional manner and exhibit excellent verbal communication skills.

• Experience working with communities or populations experiencing barriers to health care access beneficial.

• Demonstrated experience dealing effectively and compassionately with sensitive situations.