Associate Director of Patient Experience

Essen Medical Associates • Bronx, NY

2d

About The Position

The Associate Director of Patient Experience provides leadership and operational oversight for the Patient Experience team at Essen and its subsidiaries. The role ensures grievances, inquiries, and feedback are handled in a timely, compliant, and compassionate manner. The position oversees the patient experience inbox, monitors surveys and feedback data, delivers training, conducts site observations, and supports team development. It promotes servant leadership, empathy, and accountability to improve the patient journey, while partnering with clinical and operational leaders to improve service quality and patient satisfaction.

The role supervises Patient Experience Specialists and departmental workflows, oversees grievance resolution in accordance with CMS and Joint Commission standards, and works with leaders to resolve escalated concerns and restore patient trust. It also develops staff training and coaching, monitors patient satisfaction surveys and trends, reports findings to leadership, collaborates with Quality and Compliance, and leads initiatives that strengthen patient-centered culture and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Business, Nursing, or a related field.
• Effective communication with empathy, compassion, and diplomacy.
• Conflict resolution and service recovery expertise.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Strong data analysis and reporting skills.
• At least 5 years of experience in patient experience, patient relations, or healthcare leadership.
• Prior supervisory or management experience in a healthcare setting.
• Demonstrated success implementing patient-centered improvement initiatives.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree (MHA, MPH, MBA, or related).
• Experience with survey platforms such as Qualtrics and Press Ganey.
• Knowledge of EHR systems such as ECW and ECares.
• Certified Patient Experience Professional (CPXP).

Responsibilities

• Supervise and support Patient Experience Specialists to ensure grievances are handled promptly, accurately, and empathetically.
• Manage departmental workflows, including the patient experience inbox and grievance tracking system.
• Model servant leadership and promote accountability, collaboration, and a patient-centered culture.
• Oversee grievance and complaint resolution in compliance with CMS and Joint Commission standards.
• Partner with clinical and operational leaders to address escalated concerns and develop resolution strategies that restore patient trust.
• Maintain open communication with patients and families to reinforce confidence in care delivery.
• Design and deliver training on empathy, communication, de-escalation, and service recovery.
• Conduct site observations to assess staff-patient interactions and provide constructive coaching.
• Mentor staff and support onboarding of new employees to reinforce patient-centered practices.
• Monitor patient satisfaction surveys, including CG-CAHPS, Press Ganey, and Qualtrics, and analyze trends.
• Generate reports and present actionable improvement insights to leadership.
• Collaborate with Quality and Compliance to align patient experience with organizational performance goals.
• Serve as a visible leader across care sites, fostering empathy, inclusivity, and respect.
• Recognize staff who receive positive patient feedback and contribute to recognition programs.
• Drive initiatives that build a culture of continuous improvement in patient experience.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior