Patient Relations Specialist

Job Responsibility:

Patient Relations Specialist

Status: Regular Full-Time (1.0 FTE)

Reporting To: Director, HR & Patient Relations

Date Available: Negotiable

Hours of Work: 7.75 hours per day, 38.75 hours per week

Exempt/Non-Exempt: Exempt

Program: HR & Patient Relations

Salary Range: $78,000 - $111,000

Shift Schedule: Days

Closing Date: Open until suitable candidate is found

About Us

Mosaic Primary Care Network (PCN) provides a wide range of primary health care services in the northeast and southeast Calgary communities in partnership with a group of family doctors. Our talented interdisciplinary health care teams work together to provide services that best support patient needs.

We want YOU to bring your expertise to our growing team as we continue to develop solutions to meet the needs of our local community. If you have initiative, are resourceful, engage easily in teamwork, and most importantly, want to make a difference in healthcare, we want to hear from you!

Position Summary

Reporting to the Director, HR & Patient Relations, the Patient Relations Specialist is responsible for the patient, family and visitor experience through activities including, but not limited to, providing timely, empathetic and respectful first line of response to sensitive external stakeholder feedback coming to Patient Relations for any of Mosaic PCN's sites and services. This role manages complaints, suggestions, compliments and acts as a resource for both patients and MPCN staff, clinicians and physicians during the patient concerns process. In addition, this position advises, counsels, navigates and supports patients and their families in matters pertaining to MPCN's services and programs.

This individual contributor role in Patient Relations acts as an organizational subject-matter expert (SME) resource for the development of promoting an extraordinary patient experience in keeping with Mosaic PCN core values. This position facilitates the resolution of issues and identifies opportunities for improvement with a commitment to strengthening relationships with Mosaic and its patients and families.

This is a new position where the subject matter expertise of this individual will be highly relied upon. Thus, the successful candidate is one who has experience in a 100% dedicated patient relations role where they have worked in a patient relations department in the healthcare sector.

Key Responsibilities

Patient Relations Experience & Engagement

• Responsible for the intake, acknowledgement and notification of feedback received from patients, families and visitors that we serve within our clinics and catchment area; and identifying potential high-profile/high-risk cases that may involve ethical decision-making, medical, legal, and public interests.
• Facilitates conflict management between patient and internal stakeholders when responding to patient complaints or critical incidents.
• Provide expert consultation in the identification, management, resolution and education of patient issues and work in collaboration with key stakeholders, internal to Mosaic PCN, to facilitate resolution of patient complaints and to minimize risks to Mosaic PCN.
• Ensure that avenues for patient feedback are accessible, and that complaints and concerns are addressed in a timely, appropriate and respectful manner.
• Triage requests, suggestions, concerns and complaints following established processes and navigate resolutions to ensure all concerns are given impartial consideration and appropriate responses.
• Facilitate and lead patient engagement focus groups.
• Gather patient feedback and share with internal teams.

Investigation and Compliance

• Conduct fair, effective, and efficient investigations into allegations by determining the appropriate approach, analyzing information obtained to reach reasonable conclusion, and recommending appropriate responses.
• Liaise with various internal departments and patients to ensure problem resolution.
• Work with Physician Relations Specialist for all physician complaints.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant policies, procedures and legislation, including but not limited to all health information as in the Health Information Act (Alberta) and all personal information as defined in the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Alberta).

Documentation and Data Collection

• Document all patient feedback and resolution actions and timelines.
• Develop and maintain clear processes and guidelines around patient relations.
• Appropriately inform senior leadership of specific and aggregate complaint information, highlighting trends and opportunities to improve patient care experience.
• Identify education and training requirements for staff based on information gathered.

Program Management and Quality Improvement

• Provides input and recommends quality improvements based on information from patients and families regarding their experience to enhance future patient experience.
• Work with Measurement and Evaluation to ensure validated patient data is captured with our programs and services.
• Provide and link patient experience metrics to MPCN programs and services to ensure patient voice is incorporated.
• Work with program leaders to track MPCN program utilization and patient outcomes.
• Engage with Calgary-zone and province to keep abreast of changes in the province and best practices.

Other responsibilities as required.

Qualifications & Requirements

Education

• Bachelor's degree in health/social sciences, communications, health information services or related education.
• A certificate in mediation or conflict resolution are assets.

Experience

• Minimum of three (3) years experience of patient relations or patient experience role in a formal capacity of progressive responsibility in a healthcare organization (e.g. hospital, long-term care, multiple clinics) required.
• Minimum of three (3) years experience applying the directives of legislations (e.g., Health Information Act (Alberta), Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Alberta)).
• Experience providing recommendations and implementing validated patient experience metrics.
• Demonstrated success in establishing, leading and maintaining quality improvement initiatives related to improving the patient experience.
• Experience in conducting investigations in a unionized setting is an asset.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Proficient knowledge of healthcare patient concerns processes and ability to develop resources.
• Knowledge of best practices, tools and validated patient data for determining health outcomes.
• Excellent and demonstrated facilitation, mediation and conflict resolution skills.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships within an organization and the general public.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing, adhering to requirements of legislation and with sensitivity to the need to balance both organizational requirements and a focus on patient needs.
• Ability to be organized and flexible in response to changing demands.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise judgement and sensitivity working with complex, confidential, and sensitive issues.
• Self-directed and able to deal with multiple stakeholders while managing multiple priorities.
• Computer proficiency, particularly with Microsoft Office is required.

Competencies

The Core Competencies listed below are identified by Mosaic leadership and should be demonstrated by all employees across the organization:

Practice Communication Excellence (Communication)

• Plan and deliver oral and written communications respectfully and tactfully to make an impact and persuade an intended audience.

Build Community-Feeling (Teamwork)

• Able to share due credit with coworkers, display enthusiasm, and team spirit and promote a friendly group working environment.

Advocate for Patient/Client (Patient/Client-Centricity)

• Able to demonstrate a high level of patient/client service delivery in a respectful and caring manner.

Understand Values of Change (Adaptability)

• Openness to different and new ways of doing things; willingness to modify one's preferred way of doing things with a positive attitude.

Embrace Culture and Diversity (Cultural Competency)

• Developing positive attitudes towards diverse populations; gaining knowledge of different life practices and world views.

Act with Professionalism (Personal Effectiveness)

• Takes personal responsibility for the quality and timeless or work and achieves results with little oversight.

Working Conditions

• Occasional evening and weekend hours required.
• Ability to travel on public transportation or valid drivers license with access to own car in good repair is required.

Why Mosaic PCN

We provide a competitive benefits package for eligible employees including: comprehensive health and dental coverage, Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) / Taxable Spending Account (TSA), a group RRSP matching program, professional development opportunities, generous vacation and other paid time off, and more!

Conditions of Employment

Successful applicants must provide proof of qualifications and a current police information check (PIC) including vulnerable search at the applicant's expense. The results of the PIC may alter or revoke any offer made by Mosaic PCN.

We would like to thank all applicants for their interest and resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to proceed through the selection process will be contacted. No phone calls please.