Patient Relations Manager at Stanford Health Care in Palo Alto, CA

The Patient Relations Manager provides a channel for problem resolution to promote the highest quality of care and service excellence. Conducts complex investigations on a wide range of patient and customer issues from parking to billing, customer service and quality. Collaborates with Risk and Quality departments, and clinical staff. Focuses on development, implementation and/or oversight of special programs designed to enhance patient/staff and customer satisfaction. Act as Lead in Manager's absence.Essential Duties:

• Investigates and manages average case load of 40-50 patient/family complaints and grievances and provides appropriate and timely response. Maintains regular communication during the investigation and formulates written response.
• Analyzes and triages complaints and grievances, leading comprehensive multidisciplinary reviews following established complaint handling pathway, to ensure all concerns are given impartial consideration and appropriate response occurs in keeping with regulatory and hospital guidelines.
• Serves as an impartial liaison between the patient/family and hospital departments/administration, promoting a positive relationship and acting as a vehicle for responding to patient complaints while supporting reconciliation, compromise or settlement.
• Facilitates issues relating to a patient's hospital experience; attends appointments and/or care conferences, as requested by patients, physicians or staff.
• Works in tandem with Risk Management and Quality departments to provide best outcomes for patients with quality care or legal concerns.
• Proactively rounds on units, serving as a resource to patients, families and staff.
• Interprets information from patient/family and summarizes in a concise written format for documentation in complaint tracking system. Regularly monitors and updates complaints and resolutions in the database, which is used for quality improvement activities. Provides information and assistance in completion of Advance Health Care Directives. Educates department staff on updates and revisions of these documents.
• Actively supports and educates medical center staff regarding Patient Rights and Responsibilities, patient satisfaction/customer service, and service recovery to ensure regulatory compliance and effective communication with the patient family.
• Facilitates access to hospital and community resources for patients and families.
• May review/edit written communication from other department managers and Patient Representatives.
• Supports responsive relationships with patients of varying cultural, socioeconomic and religious backgrounds to ensure that needs of all patients are handled with sensitivity.
• Coordinates recruitment, orientation, training and management of volunteers that enhance patient/customer satisfaction; participates in medical center committees/task forces and other special projects as required to support patient satisfaction.
• Stanford Health Care's Commitment to Providing an Exceptional Patient and Family Experience

Stanford Health Care sets a high standard for delivering value and an exceptional experience for our patients and families. Candidates for employment and existing employees must adopt and execute C-I-CARE standards for all of patients, families and towards each other. C-I-CARE is the foundation of Stanford's patient-experience and represents a framework for patient-centered interactions. Simply put, we do what it takes to enable and empower patients and families to focus on health, healing and recovery.

You will do this by executing against our three experience pillars, from the patient and family's perspective:

Know Me: Anticipate my needs and status to deliver effective care

Show Me the Way: Guide and prompt my actions to arrive at better outcomes and better health

Coordinate for Me: Own the complexity of my care through coordination

Minimum Qualifications:

Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities as well as possession of any required licenses or certifications is qualifying.

Education:

Bachelor's degree in a work-related discipline/field from an accredited college or university

Experience Required:

• Five (5) years of progressively responsible and directly related work experience. Preferred: Experience in functions such as case management, clinic leadership, navigation, compliance and quality.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

These are the observable and measurable attributes and skills required to perform successfully the essential functions of the job and are generally demonstrated through qualifying experience, education, or licensure/certification.

• Ability to comprehend and discuss patient's medical care and nursing care with physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals in order to assess patient grievances
• High emotional IQ and active listening skills with the ability to provide appropriate levels of support, comfort, and reassurance to escalated patients and family members and team members
• Ability to display a high professional demeanor at all times.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information during investigation of complaints, issues and grievances.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to be diplomatic.
• Highly organized.
• Ability to appropriately and comfortably, on a daily basis, deal with multiple complex cases and dissatisfied patients and customers.
• Ability to mediate and resolve complex problems and issues using critical thinking and empathy.
• Knowledge of hospital systems, operations, locations and departments' policies and practices relating to patient care and progression in order to serve patients and effectively problem solve
• Ability to understand medical terminology and comfort in dialogue about patient clinical care, medical information, billing practices, organizational standards, etc.
• Knowledge of Patient Rights and Responsibilities, Joint Commission standards, and Centers for Medicare/Medicaid regulations
• Knowledge of computer systems and software used in functional area (Microsoft Office Suite of applications, EPIC)