Patient Relations Specialist - Patient Relations

UNC Health; Smithfield (NC); On-site; USD 43,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

UNC Health in Smithfield, NC is seeking a Patient Relations Liaison to serve as a primary contact between patients/families and hospital departments. You will facilitate conflict management and complaint resolutions for complex situations while guiding patients on policies and procedures.

The role emphasizes patient advocacy, care coordination, and maintaining a patient-family centered environment. Requirements include a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.

Qualifications

• 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Skills

Customer service

Verbal communication

Conflict resolution

Relationship building

Listening

Organizational skills

Written communication

Attention to detail

Critical thinking

Compassion

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Health Administration/Behavioral Science

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.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Education Requirements

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

Licensure/Certification Requirements

• No licensure or certification required.

Professional Experience Requirements

• 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 Requirements

• 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.

Job Details

• Legal Employer: NCHEALTH
• Entity: Johnston Health
• Organization Unit: Patient Relations
• Work Type: Full Time
• Standard Hours Per Week: 40.00
• Salary Range: $20.74 - $29.52 per hour (Hiring Range)
• Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity
• Work Assignment Type: Onsite
• Work Schedule: Day Job
• Location of Job: US:NC:Smithfield
• Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: No
• This position is employed by NC Health (Rex Healthcare, Inc., d/b/a NC Health), a private, fully-owned subsidiary of UNC Heath Care System. This is not a State employed position.
• 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.
• UNC Health makes reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as applicants and employees with disabilities.