Sr Director - Patient Experience & Advocacy

1000 Methodist Le Bonheur Corp; Memphis (TN); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

1000 Methodist Le Bonheur Corp in Memphis, Tennessee is seeking a Senior Patient Experience Lead to develop and execute a system‑wide patient experience strategy. This role will drive improvements in patient satisfaction across all care settings and directly manage a patient experience team.

The ideal candidate must have a Master’s Degree and substantial experience in patient experience, demonstrating leadership in service excellence and change management. Skills in communication and program management are essential.

Qualifications

• 5–7 years of progressive leadership experience in patient experience, service excellence, or healthcare operations.
• Demonstrated success leading system‑level experience transformation initiatives.
• Certified Patient Experience Professional (CPXP) is required.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of the system‑wide patient experience strategy.
• Establish a standardized experience model across all care settings.
• Oversee system-wide patient feedback strategy.

Skills

Patient safety science

Program management

Change management

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Education

Master’s Degree in Nursing, Business Administration, Healthcare Administration or Public Health

Tools

HCAHPS

Press Ganey

Job description

We are looking for a Senior Patient Experience Lead to develop and execute a system‑wide patient experience strategy and drive measurable improvements in patient satisfaction across all care settings.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of the system‑wide patient experience strategy.
• Establish a standardized experience model across all care settings.
• Define what good looks like for patient‑centered care at every touchpoint.
• Design and operationalize a Whole‑Person Experience Model addressing physical comfort, emotional support, education, and spiritual/cultural needs.
• Establish clear, observable service behaviors and embed experience expectations into bedside care, rounding structures, and leadership work.
• Oversee system‑wide patient feedback strategy (HCAHPS, CG‑CAHPS, real‑time feedback) and develop closed‑loop processes.
• Lead targeted initiatives to improve experience metrics and create actionable improvement plans.
• Oversee patient advocacy programs and design a system approach to service recovery and trust rebuilding.
• Drive a culture of compassion, accountability, and ownership of experience across the organization.
• Partner with HR and leadership to integrate experience into performance evaluations, expectations, and recognition programs.
• Collaborate with clinical governance, risk management, physician leaders, and equity leaders to embed experience into clinical workflows and address disparities.
• Build and maintain system‑wide training for experience excellence (communication, empathy, service recovery, etc.).
• Benchmark against leading systems, introduce innovative approaches, and partner on external benchmarking opportunities.

Education & Qualifications

• Required: Master’s Degree in Nursing, Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or Public Health; or a clinical degree (RN, MD, or equivalent).
• Preferred: Master’s Degree in any of the above fields.

Experience

• 5–7 years of progressive leadership experience in patient experience, service excellence, or healthcare operations.
• Demonstrated success leading system‑level experience transformation initiatives.
• Experience with patient feedback systems such as HCAHPS, Press Ganey, or real‑time feedback tools.
• Preferred: Experience in high‑reliability organizations and culture transformation.

Skills & Abilities

• Deep expertise in patient safety science, human factors, and high‑reliability principles.
• Proven ability to lead enterprise‑wide change and culture transformation.
• Strong analytical capability in safety data interpretation and performance improvement.
• Ability to influence physician, nursing, and executive leadership without direct authority.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills (Board, ELT, and frontline engagement).
• Strong program management, facilitation, and team leadership capabilities.
• Knowledge of regulatory and accreditation requirements (DNV, CMS, or equivalents).

Licenses & Certifications

• Required: Certified Patient Experience Professional (CPXP) – Patient Experience Institute (PXI).
• Preferred: Six Sigma Black Belt or authorized Six Sigma Certification.

Supervision

Directly manages a system‑level patient experience and advocacy team; provides matrix leadership to facility‑based experience leaders; and oversees coordination across clinical, operational, and support departments.

Physical Demands

The role may include light physical activities such as standing, walking, reaching, and occasional lifting up to 25 lbs. The position requires close visual acuity and the ability to perform tasks in a standard office environment.