Director, Patient Experience

How would you like to work in a place where your contributions and ideas are valued? A place where you can serve with compassion, pursue excellence and honor every voice? At Wellstar, our mission is simple, yet powerful: to enhance the health and well-being of every person we serve. We are proud to have become a shining example of what's possible when the brightest professionals dedicate themselves to making a difference in the healthcare industry, and in people's lives.

Work Shift

The Director of Patient Experience is responsible for providing strategic direction to foster a culture of patient and family centered care. Accountable to ensure successful deployment of The Wellstar Experience and consumer engagement strategies in a manner that supports achievement of Consumer Experience goals. The individual in this role guides the evaluation, design, and implementation patient experience programs at all points of service throughout the hospital. The Director of Patient Experience oversees planning and execution of hospital-wide patient experience and service excellence programs. He/she ensures collaboration and coordination of the following efforts for the campus:

• Inpatient Satisfaction

• Outpatient Satisfaction

• Emergency Department Satisfaction

• Ambulatory Surgery Satisfaction

Acting as the subject matter expert, he/she will partner with leadership, staff, system partners, and physicians to identify opportunities for short and long-term impact on consumer engagement outcomes in alignment with Wellstar's strategic plan. The Director of Patient Experience works in partnership with the hospital leadership to enhance an interdisciplinary team approach to the overall delivery of care to patients, families, and the community. This individual will also work closely with the medical staff to ensure a thorough understanding and commitment to continuous improvement in the patient experience.

Plans, organizes, and directs all services and operations of the department which includes managing complaints and grievances, volunteer services, and all service and performance excellence programs for the hospital. Responsible for coordinating activities of Grievance Committee with appropriate personnel, including medical staff, Quality, PI and executive leadership.

The individual in this role will proactively identify opportunities to optimize performance, build internal competencies, foster a strong and empowered team, and create a rigorous approach to patient experience throughout the organization, with a strong focus on the patient, accountability, and commitment to continuous improvement.

This leader will work collaboratively with physicians, nursing staff, and ancillary/support staff on improving the patient experience.This individual partner's and/or collaborates with leaders regarding quality of discharge calls provided by team members and the discharge call center.

This leader works closely with the medical staff to ensure a thorough understanding and commitment to continuous improvement in the patient experience. In this position, the Director collaborates with hospital leadership on a strategic vision of service excellence that will be cascaded down to all staff members; communicates progress on service excellence initiatives to key team members, including executives, department, and key Committees. In addition, he/she leads service excellence councils and committees; oversees a data driven program collecting, tracking, and analyzing patient experience trends for optimizing service outcomes.

The Director of Patient Experience coaches Hospital employees to maximize the use of customer service tools and programs for an enhanced patient experience. Maintains all budgetary and human resource activities for the department. Ensures compliance to regulatory requirements for responses to patients' grievances.

Responsibilities Include:

Patient Experience

• Leads patient experience efforts to achieve system targeted goals and objectives.

• Oversees the development and implementation of performance improvement plans within the five key areas of inpatient, emergency, surgery, ambulatory, and essential services in coordination with the WellStar strategic plan and goals.

• Responsible for meeting all regulatory requirements from CMS and Joint Commission under the patient experience umbrella.

• Directs hospital departments in the development of their patient experiences goals and action plans, works with leaders to facilitate goal achievement, and ensures departments provide routine reporting of progress.

• Collaborates with Hospital and System Leadership to align priorities and resources with hospital and system goals and to oversee the deployment of facility level patient experience programs.

• Plans, implements, and provides appropriate support for key patient experience initiatives.

• Provides strategic direction and guidance on publicly reported data to operational leaders and timelines for new guidelines, regulations, and processes.

• Ensures adherence to standard work applicable to the roles and responsibilities within the department, as designed by the hospital and/or system.

• Effectively utilizes and collaborates with the system Consumer Data & Insights teams on the analysis, interpretation, and communication of both internal and publicly reported measures.

• Collaborates with System Leadership to oversee and implement robust, highly effective feedback management processes according to Wellstar Complaint & Grievance policy, including but not limited to: identification; reporting; cause analysis; development of action plans with measures for effectiveness.

• Serves as consultants, subject matter experts, and facilitators, as appropriate regarding patient experience, service excellence improvement.

• Routinely reviews data, identifies low performing areas, and facilitates education and process improvement efforts to create alignment and compliance with standards and best practices.

• Develops operating and capital budgets in coordination with hospital and system initiatives; monitors to ensure variance analysis and resolution.

• In collaboration with hospital leadership, leads hospital-wide cultural transformation with patient experience at the center to ensure all touch points meet and exceed patients' needs.

Leadership of multiple departments

• Provide campus leadership for service coaching, patient relations, customer service, and volunteer services.

• Ensures compliance with all CMS guidelines related to complaints and grievances.

• Ensure efforts are maximized for the campus.

• Provide support for operational departmental leadership development and implementing plans for improvement.

• Ensures team creates a positive and professional atmosphere.

• Promotes growth and employee retention.

• Performs team member evaluations and payroll functions.

• Ensures adequate staffing.

• Provides all coaching and human resources oversight to this team.

• Provide future leadership needs as defined.

Performs other duties as assigned. Complies with all Wellstar Health System policies, standards of work, and code of conduct.

Job Qualifications:

Required Minimum Education:

• Bachelors - Health Administration, Business Administration/Management or Health Science (Required)

• Masters (Preferred)

Required Minimum Experience:

• Minimum seven (7) years of progressive experience in healthcare or patient experience required.

• Minimum two (2) years with direct management of individuals or teams required.

• Minimum two (2) years experience leading improvement work or significant project management experience required.

• Proven leadership in driving positive change in customer experience, demonstrated understanding of HCAHPS, CMS relations, value-based purchasing or related healthcare leadership experience required Proven leadership in driving positive change in customer experience, demonstrated understanding of HCAHPS, CMS relations, value-based purchasing or related healthcare leadership experience required

• Experience in HCAHPS/CAHPS, CMS regulations, value-based purchasing (Preferred)

Required Minimum Skills:

• Deep knowledge and understanding of CMS compliance, CAHPS administration, patient experience best practices.

• Knowledge and prior experience of CMS and Joint Commission standards with complaint and grievance resolution.

• The ability to work collaboratively and effectively in a highly matrixed organization is essential.

• Strong organizational skills and experience in assessing processes and implementing organizational improvements.

• Proven track record demonstrating the ability to influence positive and sustainable change in an urgent and fast-paced environment, especially for those who do not directly report.

• Strong customer service, negotiating and crisis management skills, as well as communication and publication/presentation skills.

• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate and work with all levels of healthcare providers including physicians.

• Ability to perform duties and responsibilities promptly and consistently with little direct supervision.

• Excellent communication, presentation and organization skills required.

• Ability to plan and direct activities of others and provide feedback regarding outcomes or performance.

Additional Licenses and Certifications:

• CPXP-Certified Professional of Patient Experience (Required within 120 Days)

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