Job Description

(Describe the primary responsibilities of the job) The Director of Patient Relations reports directly to the Vice President / Chief Experience Officer.

Directs and supervises the daily activities of the Patient Relations Office ensuring timely response to all patients/families/staff requests. The Director will oversee the provision and execution of on-the-spot, real-time service recovery measures and he/she will escalate matters to the Vice President / Chief Experience Officer as needed for improvement opportunities. A visible and participatory leadership presence aligning role with the Patient Advocate Team to allow for increased productivity, collaboration, and creativity by being innovative, designing and leveraging work, and promoting transparency within the Patient Experience Division. With the leadership of the Vice President / Chief Experience Officer and a strong grasp of patient relations, the Director of Patient Relations will be instrumental in having a comprehensive understanding of the HCAHPS scores, CMS, DOH, OMH, and other regulatory oversight agencies by which SBH Health Systems are governed. Educating and fostering a culture promoting the Planetree Model in the delivery of compassionate and empathetic care across all disciplines of service in a patient-centered environment. The Director of Patient Relations is responsible for daily operations for the Concierge

• Promote a safe, cooperative, and professional healthcare environment to ensure optimum patient care consistent with SBH policies.
• Adheres to all hospital policies, procedures, rules, and regulations, including but not limited to absenteeism, ETIME, cellular phone usage, dress code, and rules of conduct.
• Makes customer service a priority, treating customers (patients, visitors, and co workers) in a professional manner exercising courtesy and tact. Effectively communicates with patients and others about SBH services in their area(s) of expertise or responsibility and ensures that concerns, questions, or issues reach the right person(s) in SBH in a timely manner.
• Handles a wide range of responsibilities across hospital services in assuring that patient rights are upheld, point person and leader in the Patient Relations Department.
• Assures that language, advance directives, and health care proxy information is available and discussed in a patient-centered environment.
• Oversees hospital complaint resolution process to ensure compliance with policy regulations and meets with departments for corrective actions if needed.
• Knowledge and comprehension of the structure of patient advocacy programs, patient relations organization, program development implementation and evaluation, group work, education, communication, the consultation process, public health and social welfare, the social implications of health and disease development, goals and policies of community-based hospital systems and professional ethic Consults with staff, review medical records and other databases as needed to gather information for problem-solving, action, and resolution.
• Proficiency in writing and editing letters and reports.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to quickly resolve issues and concerns.
• Provide customer service training and support to staff.
• Do proactive rounding with patients and educate staff on Planetree values on units. Attend daily White Board Rounds.
• Assist Vice President / Chief Experience Officer with analysis of patient satisfaction survey scores and grievance and complaint data, track/trend performance, identify opportunities for improvement, and develop/implement action plans.
• Support the Vice President / Chief Experience Officer and collaborate to identify and mitigate barriers identified through patient complaints.
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements, including CMS, DOH, The Joint Commission, for all grievances and complaints. 15. Responsible for the functioning of the day-to-day operations in the Office of Patient Relations and Concierge.
• Operational supervision of staff including discussing job performance to identify causes and issues to resolve stated &/or potential problems. Provide employees with guidance in handling difficult or complex problems or in resolving escalating complaints or disputes. Make recommendations concerning staffing issues and procedural changes to senior leadership. Draft annual performance review and recommend appropriate personnel action. Research and prepare reports/investigations required by Sr. administration and/or other entities. Facilitate productivity to overcome difficult aspects of work. Consult with administrative staff to resolve problems with equipment performance and work schedule. Arrange for necessary maintenance or repair work. Discuss work problems or grievances with HR and potentially the Union Representative. Scheduling and maintaining accurate records of vacation, elective, and sick time. Develop work schedule according to budget and workload. Review Time off Request ensuring minimal OT prior to submitting for administrative approval for Concierge. Train &/or instruct on new policies and arrange training with in-services such as for the POC system, language line, etc.
• Any duty as may be assigned within the scope of the job.

Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree; Master’s Degree Preferred; Degree in healthcare administration or related field.