Patient Experience Advocate

JOB TITLE: Patient Experience Advocate FLSA STATUS: Non-Exempt DEPARTMENT: Experience and Optimization SUPERVISED BY: Optimization Specialist- Patient Engagement

I.

POSITION FUNCTION SUMMARY

Under the general direction of the Senior Director of Experience and Optimization and direct supervision of the Optimization Specialist- Patient Engagement, the Patient Experience Advocate (PEA) functions as an intermediary representative of Hawaiʻi Island Community Health Center (HICHC) between patients and the care team to facilitate delivery of high-quality healthcare. This role is dedicated to improving patient satisfaction, addressing patient concerns, and enhancing the overall patient experience. The Patient Experience Advocate addresses patient feedback, including complaints and concerns, and responds promptly and professionally to each inquiry, as directed.

In general, the Patient Experience Advocate acts as a point of contact to assist with customer service concerns and processes and/or initiates escalation to appropriate management for remediation depending on the situation reported.

II. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

This position may have various work assignments within HICHC. This description is intended to be generic in nature, and as such it does not detail all duties and responsibilities of the job assignment. Various duties, responsibilities and accountabilities may be assigned to an incumbent in this position depending on clinic needs, and may include but not be limited to the following:

Provides exceptional customer service to patients and patient representatives via telephone, email, online messaging or in person.

Demonstrates knowledge and proficiency working with HICHC policies and procedures as they relate to the provision of services in terms of patient complaints and concerns.

Demonstrates full comprehension of HICHC Patient Rights and Responsibilities agreement.

Remains aware of services offered throughout the clinic and in the community that will serve the patient’s needs.

Receives and documents patient feedback including complaints and concerns relative to experience while accessing or attempting to access services within HICHC.

Works to resolve complaints and concerns within guidelines and standards for this position.

Strives to resolve patient/caller interactions on the first call or contact, eliminating the need for follow-up contacts and reducing the number of repeat requests.

Follows protocols and utilizes templates, when available, to respond to patient concerns, feedback, complaints, and grievances.

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When applicable, uses appropriate scheduling tools to meet each patient’s appointment needs in an accurate and timely manner.

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Maintains schedule accuracy for maximum patient flow.

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Collects and updates personal, demographic, health, and insurance information and enters data accurately in the patient’s chart.

Under the direction and request of the Optimization Specialist- Patient Engagement, escalates complaints and concerns appropriately to department managers and senior leadership for investigation and follow up as needed.

Uses compliance software and systems to record, track, and report all HICHC patient complaints.

Uses communication techniques to gather patient information to resolve patient experience complaints.

Completes detailed, accurate and timely documentation using applicable software programs and/or support platforms systems for all cases received.

Navigates Electronic Medical Records to obtain and review records and history necessary to investigate patient complaints.

Under the direction and request of the Optimization Specialist- Patient Engagement, collaborates with other HICHC departments, staff, and management to address complaints or concerns affecting the patient care experience.

Utilizes multiple communication modalities to notify patient and/or representative of receipt of complaint as requested by patient/representative.

Maintains structured documentation of all contacts with the complainant and department leaders or other involved parties, to ensure timely resolution of issue and communication of resolution to complainant.

Reviews reporting tools used for tracking to identify patterns and trends of patient experiences.

Participates in various department meetings and provides feedback regarding patient experiences, as directed.

Analyzes patient experience surveys and identifies feedback trends in aggregate, per department, and per location.

Provides regular patient experience survey trend analysis reports to department leadership and the Senior Director of Experience and Optimization .

Obtains data reports useful for patient experience analysis and improvement decisions.

Ensures compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, including HIPAA and other privacy laws.

Participates in ongoing customer service, telephone and software skills, and other training as directed by department director or supervisor.

Performs other duties assigned by the supervisor consistent with the position and in compliance with HICHC policies and procedures.

III. POSITION SPECIFICATION

Requirements of Position

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and Experience

High School graduate or GED certificate required.

Degree in related business, psychology or healthcare program preferred.

A minimum of 2 years' customer service experience is required.

Counseling training and/or certificates preferred.

Must have experience working with challenging situations and personalities in a professional service setting.

Experience working in the healthcare field and familiarity with healthcare services on Hawaiʻi Island is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Must use positive conflict resolution skills to effectively communicate with patients.

Must demonstrate exceptional customer service skills.

Must have strong writing skills and be able to effectively communicate outcomes with patients.

Ability to take the initiative to resolve patient complaints and concerns.

Ability to use a computer to enter patient data.

Ability to retrieve information from multiple sources to investigate and document cases.

Ability to generate reports from data collected during daily activities.

Ability to work on multiple tasks within established deadlines.

Ability to work under the direction of the department Manager and follow instructions.

Position requires basic knowledge of general office procedures including filing, copying, faxing.

Language Skills

Ability to read and interpret documents such as government regulations and guidelines, patient records, operating and maintenance instructions, procedure manuals, etc.

Ability to write at a minimal level of competence, including internal reports and memoranda.

Ability to communicate with diverse groups of people to include staff, providers, and patients.

Ability to communicate effectively with patients and their families to improve the patient experience within HICHC.

Sensitivity to the multicultural nature of the service area population.

Communication in another language may be required if applicable.

Physical Requirements

Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

Prolonged periods of standing, bending and reaching.

Must be able to lift up to 20 pounds at times.

Personal Characteristics

Personal characteristics include: a team player, high integrity, multitasker, communication and customer relations skills, regular work attendance, courteous and friendly, able to work well with diverse groups of people, gain and maintain the respect of others, accept HICHC mission and values.

Confidential and Sensitive Information

Because the employee has access to personal and professional data regarding individual employees and their families, personal data regarding individual patients and the families, and/or sensitive company financial data, an essential job result is the maintenance of an elevated level of confidentiality of the information processed by the employee. Violation of this confidence may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

IV. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS/WORKING CONDITIONS

General Remarks: The work environment described here is representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential tasks and functions.

Environment: The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. There are no known environmental hazards on the premises. Work environment is often stressful. Work is mostly inside, and normal office worker safety precautions and practices are required. Incumbent may be exposed to patients' conditions and some-unpleasant sights, smells and contagious diseases including virus, disease and infection from patients and specimens in working environment. All employees are offered the opportunity to receive the Hepatitis B vaccination series.

Equipment Use: Frequent use of telephone system and office equipment including computer, printer, facsimile machine, copier, and general office supplies.

Work Hours: Forty-hour work weeks. Eight-hour work days, overtime may be required. Incumbent will be scheduled based on operational need (rotate shifts, standby, AA, on-call).

Mental Demands: Duties require attention to detail, alertness, problem solving; tolerance to stress and exercising sound judgment. Duties require high tolerance and adequate coping skills for dealing with loss, grief, and bereavement. Good stress reduction and management skills are essential.

Travel: Travel may be required to each HICHC clinical and administrative site. Frequency may vary, based on need, and as assigned.

V. REMARKS

The foregoing position description is not all-inclusive of the duties that may be assigned to the employee. To ensure maximum flexibility and efficiency and to encourage cross training, employees will be assigned additional duties as deemed necessary or desirable by HICHC.