Director Patient Care Experience

Arkansas Children's Hospital•Little Rock, AR

About The Position

The Director of Patient Experience is a system leader responsible for advancing a culture of exceptional experience for patients, families, and staff across Arkansas Children’s in all care settings. This role partners with clinical and operational teams to embed compassion, strong communication, and continuous improvement into every patient interaction, with family-centered care at the core. The Director leads strategies that improve patient satisfaction, trust, and loyalty, ensuring every family feels seen, heard, and valued. Arkansas Children’s is the only hospital system in the state dedicated to caring for children, which enables us to uniquely shape the landscape of pediatric care in Arkansas. Arkansas Children’s is driven by four core values—safety, teamwork, compassion and excellence—which inform every action. Arkansas Children’s Hospital has received Magnet Status from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), for nursing excellence and patient outcomes. And we are nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report for Cancer, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Pulmonology & Lung Surgery and Urology. For more than a century, Arkansas Children’s has met the unique needs of children. But we’re more than just a hospital treating sick kids—our services include two hospitals, a pediatric research institute, foundation, clinics, education and outreach, all with an unyielding commitment to making children better today and healthier tomorrow. Arkansas Children’s Little Rock campus includes a 336-bed hospital with the state’s only pediatric Level 1 Trauma Center, burn center, Level 4 neonatal intensive care and pediatric intensive care, as well as a nationally-recognized transport service. And Arkansas Children’s Northwest provides inpatient and emergency care, clinic rooms and diagnostic services to children in that corner of the state. “Arkansas Children’s is a place of hope and comfort for children and parents. When you are at children’s, you are part of an elite team united with a common goal of saving children and making their lives better.” Michael – Business Operations Manager “Arkansas Children’s Hospital is a prestigious institution that cares for children.” Linda – Information Systems Analyst “We are an organization of care, love, and hope while we champion children.” Angela – Parking and Fleet Coordinator “Care, love, and hope for children!” Kathy – Administrative Assistant “When I think of my time here at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, I can honestly say that it has given me a unique perspective on the human condition, and the various roles that we all have in patient care. As a supply assistant, I have a very important job ensuring that the doctors and nurses have what they need to provide the world class medical care to the Children of Arkansas and surrounding states. Being a Champion for Children is more than a catch phrase, it is a way of life!” Nick – Supply Assistant

Requirements

High school diploma or general education degree (GED)
11 years with at least 5 years in a leadership role. Formal education may substitute for work experience on a year-for-year basis (e.g., one year of education = one year of experience).

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in a related field of study.
Certified Patient Experience Professional (CPXP) - The Beryl Institute

Responsibilities

Lead the development and execution of a system-wide Patient Experience strategy aligned with Arkansas Children’s mission and values.
Act as a visible change leader who challenges existing practices and promotes innovation in service delivery.
Collaborate with hospital and clinic leaders to embed patient experience priorities into clinical and operational workflows.
Ensure consistent application of experience standards and best practices across ACH, ACNW, Emergency Departments, and outpatient services.
Drive patient experience improvement initiatives using data-driven improvement methods (e.g., Lean, Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles).
Oversee service recovery processes to ensure timely, compassionate, and accountable responses to patient and family concerns.
Lead the Patient Experience team in managing surveys (e.g., Press Ganey), data analysis, reporting, dashboards, and visualization tools.
Translate experience data into actionable insights by identifying trends, gaps, and opportunities across the care continuum.
Build and lead a high-performing Patient Experience team while coaching leaders and staff on communication and empathy practices.
Partner with cross-functional teams (e.g., Nursing, Medical Staff, Quality, Equity of Care, Chaplaincy, Marketing & Communications) and engage patient and family voices in co-designing care processes and materials.