Patient Relations/Patient Experience Specialist

OVERVIEW

One conversation can help resolve a difficult experience for a patient or family. The insight gained from that conversation can also help improve care for many others.

As a Patient Relations/Patient Experience Specialist at Michael Garron Hospital, you will support patients, families, staff, physicians and leaders to navigate complex concerns with compassion, fairness and professionalism. You will listen to patients and families during some of their most challenging moments, facilitate constructive conversations with care teams, and help identify resolutions.

This role goes beyond resolving individual cases. You will analyze feedback, identify recurring themes and help translate the experiences of patients and families into improvements in quality, safety, equity and people-centred care across MGH.

Is this you?

You are an empathetic and thoughtful communicator who can help people feel heard, even when emotions are high and the issues are complex. You approach difficult conversations with curiosity, objectivity, compassion and respect, while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.

You are comfortable bringing patients, families, clinicians and leaders together to clarify concerns and identify a constructive path forward. You remain composed under pressure, recognize potential risks and know when an issue requires escalation.

You also see the bigger picture. You are interested in what individual patient experiences can teach an organization and are able to identify themes, analyze information and contribute to meaningful improvements in care.­

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Reporting to the Manager of Patient Relations, you will:

- Receive, assess and manage patient and family concerns involving multiple clinical or operational areas, complex communication issues or potential organizational risk.

- Work collaboratively with staff, physicians, managers and senior leaders to facilitate timely, fair and compassionate resolution of concerns.

- Arrange and facilitate meetings between patients, families and members of the healthcare team when appropriate.

- Use mediation, conflict-resolution and de-escalation approaches to support constructive conversations and rebuild communication.

- Provide consultation and coaching to staff, physicians and leaders regarding patient and family perspectives, communication strategies and the management of complex concerns.

- Review patient feedback data, identify trends and prepare reports or recommendations to support organizational learning and improvement.

- Support organizational responses to external bodies, including the Ontario Patient Ombudsman, as required.

EDUCATION

- Master’s degree in a healthcare, health sciences, social sciences, social work, health administration or related discipline.

- Registration in good standing with a regulated health profession or relevant professional body.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

- A minimum of 5 years of clinical practice or relevant experience in a health discipline, preferably in a hospital setting, with evidence of progressive responsibility that involved responding to complaints or other sensitive and or emotionally complex situations.

- Excellent verbal, written, listening, interviewing and facilitation skills.

Preferred

- Previous experience in patient relations, patient experience, risk management, quality improvement, ethics, professional practice or a related healthcare function.

- Formal education or certification in mediation, alternative dispute resolution, conflict resolution, risk management, ethics, patient and family-centred care or quality improvement.

Skills and knowledge

- Demonstrated empathy and emotional intelligence.

- Strong facilitation, mediation, negotiation and conflict-resolution skills.

- Ability to remain calm, neutral and professional in high-pressure or emotionally charged situations.

- Sound judgement and the ability to recognize, assess and appropriately escalate potential risk.

- Strong critical-thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills.

- Ability to synthesize complex information and communicate it clearly and respectfully.

- Knowledge of Ontario’s healthcare system and legislation relevant to patient relations, including the Excellent Care for All Act, Public Hospitals Act, Health Care Consent Act, Personal Health Information Protection Act, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and Ontario Human Rights Code.

- Understanding of health equity and principles of fair and transparent complaint resolution.

- Strong time-management skills.

- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, electronic documentation systems and the use of data to identify trends and improvement opportunities.

- Excellence attendance record.
- All employees of Michael Garron Hospital (MGH), a division of Toronto East Health Network (TEHN) [formerly Toronto East General Hospital (TEGH)] agree to work within the legislated practices of the Occupational Health and Safety Act of Ontario.
- All employees of MGH are responsible to contribute to a transparent culture of patient and staff safety by adhering to and abiding by patient and staff safety policies and procedures set by MGH.
- All employees are accountable for protecting the psychological health and safety of themselves and their co-workers through adherence to MGH's policies and practices.

EMPLOYMENT EQUITY & ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT

Michael Garron Hospital (MGH) champions accessibility, diversity and equal opportunity through the creation of an inclusive and diverse work environment. At Michael Garron Hospital, we strive to be an equitable and inclusive employer. We encourage candidates from Black, First Nations, Métis and Inuit, racialized and LGBTQ2S+ communities, people of colour, women, people with disabilities and individuals who identify with the diverse communities that we serve, to join the MGH team.

Through our values of Compassion, Respect, Integrity, Inclusion and Courage, Michael Garron Hospital is committed to providing accessible employment practices that are in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC). Should you require an accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know how we can work with you to meet your needs.

This job posting is a confirmed, active vacancy for which we are currently seeking a qualified candidate.

MGH is committed to leveraging new technologies and working efficiently. As a result, artificial intelligence systems may be used as part of our process to screen, assess, and or select applicants for this position.

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