Patient Experience Navigator

Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 63,000 - 81,000; Full time

Job summary

Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford seeks a Patient Navigator to support patients and families with non-medical guidance, scheduling, and connections to services. You will liaise with Stanford Health Care teams, manage international referrals, and ensure a high-quality patient experience.

The role emphasizes collaboration across departments, advocacy for patient rights, and facilitating access to resources to support healing and satisfaction during hospital stays and visits.

Qualifications

• This position supports NICU; bilingual Spanish and English preferred.
• Education: Bachelor's degree in a work-related discipline.
• Experience: three years of related work experience.
• License/Certification: none required.

Responsibilities

• Provide non-medical guidance, act as liaison, and connect families to services.
• Schedule physician appointments and care experiences for referred patients.
• Serve as a non-clinical concierge for patients across Stanford healthcare systems.
• Coordinate interpreter services and international patient arrangements as needed.
• Document concerns and ensure patient rights and HIPAA compliance.

Skills

Hospitality skills

Customer service

Diplomacy

Effective communication

Confidentiality

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Computer systems knowledge

Job description

Company Description

At Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford, we know world-renowned care begins with world-class caring. That's why we combine advanced technologies and breakthrough discoveries with family-centered care. It's why we provide our caregivers with continuing education and state-of-the-art facilities, like the newly remodeled Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford. And it's why we need caring, committed people on our team - like you. Join us on our mission to heal humanity, one child and family at a time.

Job ID: P140276-2656982

Job Description

This is a Fixed Term position

JOB SUMMARY

This paragraph summarizes the general nature, level and purpose of the job.

The Patient Navigator supports the patient's medical care by providing non-medical guidance and assistance for the patient and family. Responsible for daily visits to each patient and his/her family in assigned departments, to act as a communication liaison and to hear and understand the patient's individual needs, desires, and concerns, and then to guide and connect the patient and family to a range of non-medical services, amenities, and information that can support effective healing and ensure satisfaction with the hospital experience at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. The Patient Navigator assumes responsibility and accountability for the management of resources through interdisciplinary collaboration to achieve optimal patient outcomes. Functions as a resource and a liaison between the patient, the medical center, and the community it serves; ensure patient rights are respected; and provide a channel for problem mediation and resolution to promote the highest quality of care and customer satisfaction. The navigator is responsible for working with colleagues at the Stanford University Medical Center and at Stanford University to manage medical referrals and ongoing care and stewardship of International clientele, who are also philanthropy prospects.

Manages the entire experience of referred patients/families in all aspects of their care before, during or after any encounter with or at Stanford Children's Health. Facilitates scheduling of physician appointments and care experiences during in-and out-patient encounters of key individuals, and assist in negotiating the full spectrum of the Stanford healthcare system, including for Executive Health and Corporate Partners Program patrons.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The essential functions listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification. They are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.

Employees must abide by all Joint Commission Requirements including but not limited to sensitivity to cultural diversity, patient care, patient rights and ethical treatment, safety and security of physical environments, emergency management, teamwork, respect for others, participation in ongoing education and training, communication and adherence to safety and quality programs, sustaining compliance with National Patient Safety Goals, and licensure and health screenings.

Must perform all duties and responsibilities in accordance with the hospital's policies and procedures, including its Service Standards and its Code of Conduct.

• Responsible for doing daily rounds on patient care units, evaluating and triaging calls from patients and families, assessing needs, investigating problems or complaints and facilitating follow up with the appropriate person or departments. Daily visitation of patients on assigned units.
• Gathers feedback proactively by rounding on inpatient rooms and speaking with families in clinic. Formulates any necessary action plans and follow-up based on feedback received. This may include immediate problem-solving and/or service recovery.
• Collaborates with team members to develop improvement projects to address patient feedback. Assists with identifying areas for improvement based on daily interactions with patients and observations. Works with unit personnel on initiatives to improve the patient experience.
• Provides support and guidance during patient hospital stay or clinic visit and being responsive to any concerns or complaints the patient and/or family may have. Provides resolution of issues at point of service.
• Helps patients secure appointments across specialties. Facilitates scheduling of physician appointments and care experiences during in-and out-patient encounters of individuals, and assist in negotiating the full spectrum of the Stanford healthcare system.
• Acts as non-clinical liaison/concierge/navigator for patient in all aspects of their care at SUMC before, during or after an encounter with a Stanford medical facility. Serves as a link to services across the health system: social work, pastoral care, physical therapy, other specialties; connecting patients to financial counseling or other care settings.
• Provide efficient, individualized services to international patients seeking care or second-opinion diagnoses at the Stanford Children's Health. Coordinates and interface with faculty and community physicians, hospital departments and clinics as well as with patients and their families to improve access to all institutional services and to facilitate comfortable, efficient visits.
• Coordinates and schedules appointments and admissions adhering to the special needs of the international patient and referral algorithms in place. Makes arrangements for interpreter services as requested by patient or family and in accordance with department policies.
• Implements training strategies to build understanding in medical center staff of the value of grateful patients to institutional fundraising.
• Participates in rotating 24/7 coverage of service - flexible schedule will be determined based on patient volume.
• Plans and implements individualized fundraising strategies to obtain major and leadership gifts from grateful patients. Works with community physicians to bring their patients into a grateful patient position at Stanford.
• Serves as a contact for patients, families and guests who have a need/want while in the hospital, or after the patient's hospital stay. Coordinates access to hospital and community resources for patients and families.
• Responsible for listening to and assessing patient needs, and taking the steps necessary to resolve any concerns or problems in an effective and timely manner; Exhibiting the highest degree of professionalism, friendliness, helpfulness, and customer service.
• Serves as liaison between patients and the hospital through whom patients may voice their problems and concerns. Accurately documents all patient complaints in complaint tracking system; Monitors and updates complaints and their resolutions in the database which is used for quality improvement activities for the organization.
• Investigates patient/family complaints/grievances and provides appropriate/timely response; Maintains regular communication during the investigation and, based on investigation results, formulates written response, when appropriate.
• Shares appropriately updates with patients and families, in accordance with HIPAA guidelines. Provides information and assistance in completion of Advance Health Care Directives; educates department staff on updates and revisions of these documents. Provide information and assistance in completion of Advance Health Care Directives.
• Collaborates with department managers to meet patient expectations and quality outcomes building a patient focused culture.
• Coordinates recruitment, orientation, training and management of volunteers that enhance patient experience; participates in medical center committees/task forces and other special projects as required to support patient.
• Attends appointments and/or care conferences as requested by patients, physicians or staff.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

This position will support the NICU department. Bilingual proficiency in Spanish and English is highly preferred.

Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities as well as possession of any required licenses or certifications is qualifying.

Education: Bachelor's degree in a work-related discipline/field from an accredited college or university

Experience: Three (3) years of progressively responsible and directly related work experience.

License/Certification: None required.

KNOWLEDGE

• Strong hospitality and customer service skills.
• Ability to be diplomatic and highly organized.
• Ability to comprehend and discuss patient's medical care and nursing care with physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals in order to assess patient grievances.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to display a highly professional demeanor.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with widely diverse groups, including individuals at all levels both within and outside the organization and gain their cooperation.
• Ability to handle potentially sensitive situations by applying consultative skills in working with internal and external constituent groups.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information.
• Ability to remain calm under pressure and apply sound judgment.
• Ability to resolve conflicts and/or negotiate with others to achieve positive results; establish and maintain effective interpersonal relationships.
• Ability to strategize large gift solicitations and to demonstrate sensitivity to the motivations of those who make them.
• Ability to utilize project management tools.
• Ability to work in a complex, multi-divisional environment with the skills to establish priorities, set objectives and achieve stated goals.
• Knowledge of academic institutions and academic medical centers and how they work.
• Knowledge of academic institutions and academic medical centers and how they work Knowledge of all clinical and academic disciplines pertaining to the operation of a complex medical center.
• Knowledge of all formal etiquette and protocol at an international level.
• Knowledge of computer systems and software used in functional area.
• Knowledge of data collection, compilation, and analytical techniques.
• Knowledge of Medical Terminology.
• Knowledge of the health care industry.
• Ability to understand and develop in-depth knowledge of Patient Rights & Responsibilities, Joint Commission standards, and Centers for Medicare/Medicaid regulations.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The Physical Requirements and Working Conditions in which the job is typically performed are available from the Occupational Health Department. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Additional Information

Pay Range

Compensation is based on the level and requirements of the role.

Salary within our ranges may also be determined by your education, experience, knowledge, skills, location, and abilities, as required by the role, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Typically, new team members join at the minimum to mid salary range.

Minimum to Midpoint Range (Hourly): $45.74 to $59.46

Stanford Medicine Children's Health (SMCH) strongly values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in all of its policies and practices, including the area of employment. Accordingly, SMCH does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, veteran status, or disability, or the perception of any of the above. People of all genders, members of all racial and ethnic groups, people with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Qualified applicants with criminal convictions will be considered after an individualized assessment of the conviction and the job requirements, and where applicable, in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.