Toronto Medical Centre jobs in North York, ON

The Patient Relations Specialist supports Unity Health Toronto’s commitment to the best care experiences, created together, promoting care and service that reflects the organization’s Mission and Values and Care Experience Charter. Reporting to the Manager of Patient Experience, the Patient Relations Specialist leads the fair, timely and effective review and resolution of patient/family feedback across the organization’s three hospital sites. This role serves as a central point of contact for patients and families with inquires/concerns /compliments and is responsible for intake of information and coordinating and supporting leaders and physicians in the review and follow up of patient concerns. The role is integral in communicating the patient/family voice to key stakeholders, managing the resolution of complex complaints along with tracking/trending feedback data to identify opportunities for service recovery and continuous quality improvement in the organization with the goal to improve the care experience. The role is responsible for imparting knowledge and best practices in patient relations with the organization and building internal capacity through strong engagement with organizational leaders, physicians and staff. The Patient Relations Specialist is also responsible for management of the feedback database, documenting/coding feedback, ensuring integrity of the data and report generation. This position works across all sites.

Main Responsibilities:

• Serves as a central contact in the organization, accountable for the intake, documentation and notification to leadership of patient and family feedback regarding the care and service (complaints, inquiries, compliments)

• Facilitates the fair, thorough and timely review and response of complex patient/family complaints (including chart reviews, meetings with patients, leadership and physicians and the coordination and tracking of case follow up), including response to escalations to the Patient

• Ombudsman’s office or regulatory colleges

• Problem-solves, mediates and negotiates the resolution of conflict between patients/family and the Health Care

• Team to restore relationships and assists in diffusing anger and escalated situations

• Engages and supports patients/families through the critical incident review process, ensuring their voice is included in the process and works with leadership to facilitate communication of review outcomes

• Develops written communications on behalf of organization in response to patient and family feedback including high risk, sensitive issues

• Identifies quality of care, safety, high risk/high profile issues through complaint investigations

• Manages the RL6 Feedback Database including appropriate documenting and coding of feedback, ensuring integrity of feedback data, report generation and providing input into system optimization and effectiveness

• Analyzes and interprets feedback data, identifying trends, and making recommendations to leadership regarding areas of focus for improvement

• Leads the orientation of new managers, directors, chiefs to the Patient Relations process including use of RL6 feedback database

• Builds internal capacity as an expert resource, sharing knowledge/best practices in patient relations through strong engagement and coaching with organizational leaders, physicians and staff

• Provides support for patients/families to navigate the system, interpret policy/legislation.

• Develops and contributes to the review and enhancement of department processes

Qualifications:

1. Masters degree in a related healthcare discipline and a member in good standing of a professional regulatory body

2. Minimum 5 years related hospital experience, working with patients/families and health care teams, and experience and skill in working with

Mental Health and diverse populations

3. Experience working in a Patient Relations position within a health care setting resolving complex patient complaints

4. Demonstrated skill in conflict resolution, mediation, negotiation and facilitation with the ability and confidence to collaborate and build

relationships with staff/physicians at all levels

5. Highly developed communication skills including proficiency in writing complex sensitive correspondence

6. Strong organizational, critical thinking and problem-solving skills with ability to manage stress and the unpredictable and to handle a high

volume of work, multiple simultaneous demands/priorities

7. Exceptional interpersonal skills with a high level of maturity, empathy and demonstrated ability to be fair/objective, and handle sensitive

situations with diplomacy, tact and professionalism

8. Experience in coaching, mentoring and developing others

9. Self-directed and highly collaborative, able to establish credibility of role and developing ongoing relationships and networks to ensure success

10. Demonstrated understanding of/commitment to Unity Health’s Mission and Values, strong customer service orientation and respect for/belief in

the value of the patient/family as essential members of the health care team

11. Must have knowledge and understanding of Hospital processes and Legislation (Excellent Care for All Act, Health Care Consent Act, Substitute

Decisions Act, Mental Health Act, PHIPA)

12. Demonstrated commitment to professional development and building skill set for Patient Relations role

13. Proficiency in various computer applications (MS Office, experience with RLDatix Feedback Software), database management and ability to

troubleshoot basic software issues

14. Satisfactory Attendance Record.

NB: This is a hybrid role with a 60/40 split of in office and remote work. This position will be located at St. Michael's Hospital site. However, please be advised that as a condition of accepting this offer of employment you may be required to travel between sites and/or be assigned to work at an alternate site (s) (including working remotely) without notice in the future as operations may require.

Unity Health Toronto is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We strive to provide a recruitment process that is barrier free and in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code. We understand that you may require an accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process. When you are contacted, please inform the Talent Acquisition Specialist and we will work with you to meet your accommodation needs. We want to emphasize that all accommodation requests are handled with the utmost confidentiality, respecting your privacy and dignity.