Job Description

Delivering a positive patient experience is essential to providing safe, high quality health care. The Patient Experience Specialist works to create an environment that promotes a positive patient experience by collaborating with patients, their caregivers and hospital staff and physicians to identify and resolve concerns. This position gives voice to patients and their support network in a timely and articulate manner, translating those concerns to the interdisciplinary team as well as to middle and senior management and the hospital board. There is also potential for interaction with the hospital’s insurer and legal counsel.

QUALIFICATIONS
• Undergraduate degree in a Health related field required
• Master's Degree required in a related field preferred
•Conflict management, Crisis management, and or Dispute Resolution certificate an asset
•Regulated health professional preferred
•Professional Membership with OPRA preferred
•3-5 Years practical and related experience with 6 months to 1 year on-the job training.
•Excellent oral and written communications skills with the ability to communicate objectively and effectively with patients and staff at all levels required.
•Excellent interpersonal skills, mediation, conflict resolution and negotiation skill with the ability to negotiate diplomatically across medical and non-medical lines required.
•Superior communication skills in written, verbal, presentation and facilitation areas with the ability to initiate and mediate sensitive discussions
•Demonstrated ability to connect and collaborate with all levels of an organization and across multiple disciplines
•Effective and fast-acting decision-making skills with ability to seek and resolve issues in a timely manner
•Prioritize multiple demands and be able to build effective relationships with multiple stakeholders, both internally and externally to the organization.
•Demonstrated experience with conflict resolution
•Must be highly organized with day to day tasks and bring a high degree of professionalism and ethical problem-solving skills for escalated complaints.
•Must have familiarity with relevant legislation (ECFAA), agreements and mandated regulations applicable to the clinical/ hospital environment.
•Must be highly patient-focused on best- practice and optimal delivery of care in carrying out decisions and collaborating on policy and practice within the organization.
•Must be committed to continuous learning and professional development.
•Knowledge of Medical terminology is preferred
•Data management and analytical skills are an asset

RESPONSIBILITIES
•The patient experience office manages and responds to all patient complaints and feedback received from patients and families, and escalates appropriately
•Connect and liaise with clinical support and care teams, managers, SJHH leadership and appropriate stakeholders to develop and triage responses --- inform/ involve and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders as needed on a case-by-case scenario.
•Guide action planning and next steps with the goal of obtaining resolution
•Attend family meetings for more complex cases – supporting, facilitating and co-chairing meetings around complex and sensitive patient and family concerns.
•Effectively communicate with patients and families in a way that represents the SJHH mission, vision and values; draft and collate responses both verbally and in written form to patients and families
•Accurately input complaint details into Feedback system
•Maintains confidentiality and release of information in accordance with hospital policy at all times.
•Identifies the need to escalate high risk situations to leadership
•Coordinates with Risk when needed
•Conduct detailed analysis on specified patient complaints to determine contributing factors and action items to close gaps
•Analysis includes
o reviewing patient’s chart, complete patient complaint history, review of policy/procedure and best practices to inform discussion
o Creation of a timeline that is inclusive of the above
o Creation of a summary document and recommendations that is shared at the executive Leadership Committee
•Participates in corporate activities related to the improvement of patient/family experience; can include but not limited to Patient and Family Advisory Council, policy development, committees
•Manages the complaints and compliments database to facilitate ease of information retrieval, data analysis and reporting.
•With feedback provided by Patient Ombudsman, in collaboration with the clinical team, coordinate and draft responses back to the Ombudsman
•Liaise with patients and/or families following a critical incident in collaboration with the clinical team
•Ensure that patients/families are engaged throughout the review process according with hospital policy