Patient Relations Specialist

Hybrid Work Environment: This role offers a hybrid work arrangement with occasional on-site requirements at Corewell Health Big Rapids Hospital as needed for meetings, training, and business needs. The position follows a flexible 72-hour biweekly schedule (five days one week, four days the next).

Are you passionate about making a meaningful impact in health care by ensuring that every patient's voice is heard and respected? As a Patient Relations Specialist, you'll serve as a trusted advocate, helping patients feel heard, supported, and respected while partnering with clinical and operational leaders to resolve concerns, protect patient rights, and drive improvements in the care experience. In this highly visible role, you'll combine empathy, problem-solving, and collaboration to strengthen trust, elevate service excellence, and help ensure every patient voice leads to positive change.

Job Summary

Provides a variety of services to support the Patient Relations Department. Performs front line coordination of complicated Patient Relations issues for Corewell Health. Actively works with health care members to meet or exceed customer expectations. Mentors and coaches team members at all levels of the organization in complaint management and customer service issues.

Essential Functions

• Supports and drives improvement activities for accountable areas based on organizational priorities (project management, measurable deliverables, milestones, and data informed strategy).
• Serves as a liaison between various departments across the Corewell Health System. Communicates, collaborates, networks with and acts as a change agent to key stakeholders. Also ensures continuity and coordination of services with appropriate utilization of resources. Responsible for stakeholder management across collaboration within dept and organizational resources.
• Drives continuous assessment and improvements using appropriate tools and methodology within the business, assists stakeholders and process owners in prioritizing improvement opportunities.
• Grievance: Provide access to a centrally located positive patient feedback and grievance process
  • Receive and review complaints and grievances from the patient or patient’s representative and/or referred from staff/physicians
  • Work with appropriate staff and/or physicians providing care to follow up and resolve issues to the patient’s satisfaction
  • Notify the patient in writing of the resolution of all grievances
• Effectively reduces the risk of litigation to the organization. Serves as the face of the organization when there is perceived adverse outcome or when a patient or family identifies where the standard of care was not followed. This may be done in coordination with Risk Management.
• Patient Rights Champion: Receive, Review, and Respond to regulatory complaints, quality of care concerns. Collaborate with accreditation department to ensure compliance of system with the Joint Commission Rights and Responsibilities of the Individual Chapter.
• Maintains updated records and prepares required reports. Provides consultative support to various organizational policies that support patient rights,
• Compile and prepare any complaint/grievance that is not resolved to the satisfaction of the patient by the Patient Relations department for review at Grievance Committee and facilitate Grievance Committee to stand as a final level review for patients with an unresolved grievance.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent in Healthcare related field

Preferred

• 2 years of Quality improvement, Patient Relations, Patient Experience, Customer Service Medical Field
• 1 year of Participation on improvement initiatives
• CRT-At least one Certification from preferred list - Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), IHI Open School
• CRT-At least one Certification from preferred list - Beryl Institute Certificate of Patient Advocacy, Beryl Certificate 1 Year

About Corewell Health

As a team member at Corewell Health, you will play an essential role in delivering personalized health care to our patients, members and our communities. We are committed to cultivating and investing in YOU. Our top-notch teams are comprised of collaborators, leaders and innovators that continue to build on one shared mission statement - to improve health, instill humanity and inspire hope. Join a nationally recognized health system with an ambitious vision of continued advancement and excellence.

How Corewell Health cares for you

• Comprehensive benefits package to meet your financial, health, and work/life balance goals. Learn more here.
• On-demand pay program powered by Payactiv
• Discounts directory with deals on the things that matter to you, like restaurants, phone plans, spas, and more!
• Optional identity theft protection, home and auto insurance
• Traditional and Roth retirement options with service contribution and match savings
• Eligibility for benefits is determined by employment type and status

Primary Location

SITE - Big Rapids Hospital - 605 Oak St - Big Rapids - CH West

Department Name

QSE Patient Relations - Corporate

Employment Type

Full time

Shift

Day (United States of America)

Weekly Scheduled Hours

36

Hours of Work

8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Days Worked

Monday to Friday

Weekend Frequency

N/A

CURRENT COREWELL HEALTH TEAM MEMBERS – Please apply through Find Jobs from your Workday team member account. This career site is for Non-Corewell Health team members only.

Corewell Health is committed to providing a safe environment for our team members, patients, visitors, and community. We require a drug-free workplace and require team members to comply with the MMR, Varicella, Tdap, and Influenza vaccine requirement if in an on-site or hybrid workplace category. We are committed to supporting prospective team members who require reasonable accommodations to participate in the job application process, to perform the essential functions of a job, or to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment due to a disability, pregnancy, or sincerely held religious belief.

Corewell Health grants equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, religion, genetic information, marital status, height, weight, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other legally protected category.

An interconnected, collaborative culture where all are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work, is vital to the health of our organization. As a health system, we advocate for equity as we care for our patients, our communities, and each other. From workshops that develop cultural intelligence, to our inclusion resource groups for people to find community and empowerment at work, we are dedicated to ongoing resources that advance our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion in all that we do. We invite those that share in our commitment to join our team.

You may request assistance in completing the application process by calling 616.486.7447.