Patient Relations Specialist

UNC REX Healthcare; Goldsboro (NC); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Wayne UNC Health Care is seeking a Patient Experience Liaison to bridge communication between patients, families and hospital departments, resolving complaints and guiding patients through policies and procedures.

The role emphasizes managing complex, sensitive situations, improving patient advocacy and contributing to a patient-family centered environment. Requires a Bachelor’s in a related field and strong service orientation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Health Administration, Behavioral Science or an appropriate discipline.
• No licensure or certification required.
• If Bachelor's degree, no prior experience required.
• If Associate's degree, four (4) years of experience in patient relations or customer service is required.
• If high school diploma, eight (8) years of experience in patient relations or customer service is required.
• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Excellent customer service, persuasion, verbal communication, building relationships, resolving conflict, coordination, listening, organization, integrity, attention to detail, written communication, patience, critical thinking and compassion.

Responsibilities

• Complaint Resolution: documents complaints by listening to patient and family; resolves complaints and directs to physician or supervisor; follows up on outcomes; alerts leadership on unresolved issues.
• Patient Experience: improves processes, enhances advocacy, leads Patient Experience training.
• Professional Development: updates job knowledge through education, reading, networking, and professional involvement.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Conflict resolution

Relationship building

Listening

Organization

Written communication

Verbal communication

Attention to detail

Critical thinking

Compassion

Persuasion

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Health Administration, Behavioral Science or an appropriate discipline

Job description

Description

Your passion belongs at UNC Health. Join more than 56,000 teammates working together to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve across North Carolina.

Summary:

This position serves as a liaison between patients and families and all hospital departments, facilitating conflict management and complaint resolutions for the most complex and sensitive situations. The position serves as a patient resource for matters related to complaint resolution, compliance, policies and procedures.

This position serves as a liaison between patients and families and all hospital departments, facilitating conflict management and complaint resolutions for the most complex and sensitive situations. The position serves as a patient resource for matters related to complaint resolution, compliance, policies and procedures.

Responsibilities

1. Complaint Resolution- Documents complaints by listening to patient and patient family complaints documenting details determining what resolution is sought. Resolves complaints by listening to patients and their families directing them to a physician or supervisor helping them present facts to the hospital representative developing acceptable resolutions following-up on outcomes. Prevents complaints by counseling with supervisors and managers who see a problem developing offering suggestions to resolve potential complaints modifying practices that cause repeated complaints. Alerts legal department and administrator by documenting unresolved complaints and potential legal actions.

2. Patient Experience- Improves quality results by studying, evaluating, and re-designing patient complaint processes implementing changes. Enhances patient advocacy and hospital reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments. Act as consultants in relation to patient satisfaction to help sustain a patient-family centered environment. Lead Patient Experience training.

3. Professional Development- Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities reading professional publications maintaining personal networks participating in professional organizations. Perform other related duties incidental to work described herein.

Regulatory Requirements- Serves and protects the hospital community by adhering to professional standards, hospital policies and procedures, federal, state, and local requirements, and Joint Commission standards. Maintains patient rights by educating patients responding to patient and patient family complaints resolving patient issues reporting unresolved issues. Assist with the completion and explanation of Advance Directives.

Responsibilities

1. Complaint Resolution- Documents complaints by listening to patient and patient family complaints documenting details determining what resolution is sought. Resolves complaints by listening to patients and their families directing them to a physician or supervisor helping them present facts to the hospital representative developing acceptable resolutions following-up on outcomes. Prevents complaints by counseling with supervisors and managers who see a problem developing offering suggestions to resolve potential complaints modifying practices that cause repeated complaints. Alerts legal department and administrator by documenting unresolved complaints and potential legal actions.

2. Patient Experience- Improves quality results by studying, evaluating, and re-designing patient complaint processes implementing changes. Enhances patient advocacy and hospital reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments. Act as consultants in relation to patient satisfaction to help sustain a patient-family centered environment. Lead Patient Experience training.

3. Professional Development- Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities reading professional publications maintaining personal networks participating in professional organizations. Perform other related duties incidental to work described herein.

Regulatory Requirements- Serves and protects the hospital community by adhering to professional standards, hospital policies and procedures, federal, state, and local requirements, and Joint Commission standards. Maintains patient rights by educating patients responding to patient and patient family complaints resolving patient issues reporting unresolved issues. Assist with the completion and explanation of Advance Directives.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Health Administration, Behavioral Science or an appropriate discipline.

Licensure/Certification

No licensure or certification required.

Experience

If Bachelor's degree, no prior experience required.

If Associate's degree, four (4) years of experience in patient relations or customer service is required.

If high school diploma, eight (8) years of experience in patient relations or customer service is required.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Excellent customer service, persuasion, excellent verbal communication, building relationships, resolving conflict, coordination, listening, excellent organization, integrity, attention to detail, excellent written communication, patience, critical thinking and compassion.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Health Administration, Behavioral Science or an appropriate discipline.

Licensure/Certification

No licensure or certification required.

Experience

If Bachelor's degree, no prior experience required.

If Associate's degree, four (4) years of experience in patient relations or customer service is required.

If high school diploma, eight (8) years of experience in patient relations or customer service is required.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Excellent customer service, persuasion, excellent verbal communication, building relationships, resolving conflict, coordination, listening, excellent organization, integrity, attention to detail, excellent written communication, patience, critical thinking and compassion.

Valid NC Driver’s License

• Yes
• No

If driving a Wayne UNC Vehicle, must be 21 years old and MVR must be approved by Risk Management.

Physical Requirements

(Please check only one)

• Sedentary Work - Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking or standing is required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.


• Light Work – Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. If the use of the arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for sedentary work and the worker sits most of the time, the job is rated for light work.


• Medium Work - Exerting up to 30 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.


• Heavy Work - Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 30 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 20 pounds of force constantly to move objects.

Respirator Fit Testing

Respiratory Fit Testing as defined by OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard required?

• Yes
• No

Work Environment

Tobacco-free campus.

Exposure or potential exposure to blood and body fluids may be required.

Exposure or potential exposure to hazardous waste, toxic/caustic chemicals or fumes.

May work under stressful circumstances at times.

Job Details

Legal Employer: Wayne Health

Entity: Wayne UNC Health Care

Organization Unit: Patient Experience

Work Type: Full Time

Standard Hours Per Week: 40.00

Work Assignment Type: Onsite

Work Schedule: Day Job

Location of Job: WAYNE MED

Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: No

Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran or political affiliation.