Patient Relations Manager - Office of the Patient Experience

Patient Relations Manager

The University of Iowa Health Care is seeking a Patient Relations Manager. The Patient Relations Manager is a key leadership role within the Office of the Patient Experience at University of Iowa Health Care. This position requires a dynamic leader who can inspire and guide a team dedicated to resolving patient concerns and promoting patient rights. Strong leadership is essential to ensure effective departmental operations, foster professional growth among staff, and maintain a culture of excellence and empathy. The manager serves as the first point of escalation for complex issues, providing strategic direction and decision-making that aligns with organizational priorities.

Responsibilities include :

• Lead and supervise Patient Relations Specialists, including hiring, training, and performance management.
• Develop and implement departmental protocols and policies to ensure consistency and compliance with regulatory standards.
• Conduct annual performance appraisals and create opportunities for staff development through regular meetings and educational sessions.
• Act as the formal leader for resolving high-level patient and family concerns, ensuring timely and effective service recovery.
• Serve as a liaison between patients, families, and UI Health Care administration, staff, and physicians. The manager ensures patient grievances are resolved in accordance with hospital policies and federal / state regulations while promoting patient rights and satisfaction.
• The successful candidate must possess excellent verbal and written skills, strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to make formal presentations; excellent interpersonal skills; must be empathetic and patient and possess good judgement. Position requires extensive direct interaction with physicians, top levels of management, and dissatisfied patients.
• Manages departmental staffing model to ensure timely assignment and resolution of patient and family complaints and grievances.
• Performs annual staff performance appraisals to align performance goals with organizational priorities and support each team member's professional growth.
• Directs weekly staff and individual one on one meetings, creating an agenda and arranging guest speakers who offer educational information to staff that will enhance their ability to provide exceptional service to stakeholders.
• First point of escalation and formal leadership in the department for patients / families and patient relations specialists.
• Directs work assignments / evaluates and monitors staff assignments.
• Develops department protocols / policies to assure consistent office guidelines.
• Lead unique service recovery opportunities. Includes decision making based on subject matter expertise, enlisting and delegating work assignments, and follow up with patients / families.
• Provides complaint / grievance reports for administration during on site surveys conducted by regulatory agencies.
• Serve as a central resource for information concerning patients' rights and responsibilities.
• Promote compliance with Joint Commission requirements and federal and state regulations pertaining to patients' rights and assist with their implementation throughout the organization.
• Coordinate, investigate, resolve and respond to patient / visitor inquiries, complaints and grievances related to the services and healthcare provided by staff and physicians. This requires the ability to : function objectively in hostile, sensitive and stressful situations; retain / recall and synthesize extensive detailed information; elicit information from poor and evasive communicators and gather and present information in an organized manner, both verbally and in writing; recommend solutions to a wide range of people including patients, visitors, physicians, nurse, managers, department heads, clinic administrators, and senior hospital administrators.
• Promote confidentiality, respect and dignity for all persons as standards throughout the organization by serving as a resource for staff training and education programs in the College of Medicine, College of Nursing and other relevant colleges and departments within the University of Iowa.

This position requires extensive direct interaction with physicians, top levels of management and dissatisfied patients. The successful candidate must possess excellent verbal and written skills; strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to make formal presentations; excellent interpersonal skills; must be empathetic and patient and possess good judgement.

Education Requirements

Experience Requirements

Desirable Qualifications

Application Process : Please attach a resume (under submission relevant materials) as part of the application process. Job openings are posted for a minimum of 7 calendar days. Successful candidates will be required to self-disclose any conviction history and will be subject to a criminal background check.