GPS Patient Relations Specialist

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia•Philadelphia, PA

5d•$30 - $39

About The Position

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Global Patient Services (GPS) Patient Relations Specialist collaborates across specialty services and departments to coordinate care and support international patients and families. The role provides high-quality customer service and helps improve the patient and family experience throughout their stay and treatment at CHOP. It supports families traveling to CHOP by answering questions, assisting with immigration, visa, and visa-extension processes, and facilitating orientation to the hospital and GPS services. The specialist maintains communication with families and may serve as a cultural education resource for the CHOP community in assigned situations. Working with the GPS team and leadership, Language Services, the Hospitality Team, and clinical and administrative departments, the specialist helps coordinate patient access, appointments, interpreter services, transportation, lodging, records, and other aspects of international patients' visits. The position welcomes and orients families, supports clinic and inpatient care, handles administrative and documentation tasks, and addresses concerns with compassion, integrity, and strict confidentiality. The role includes availability on call for emergencies, travel to airports with the CHOP Transport team to meet direct admissions, and interpreting in certain situations when an interpreter is unavailable.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
At least three years of experience in customer service, hotel, health care, or language services for children and/or families.
Fluency in a secondary language; Arabic fluency is required.
Ability to understand regional accents and linguistic styles, choose an appropriate interpretation mode, interpret accurately and completely, self-correct, seek clarification, and respond to cues about understanding.
Strong writing skills and understanding of the translation process.
Cultural awareness, including understanding the relationship between language and culture, avoiding stereotyping, using culturally appropriate behavior, and recognizing personal values or limitations that may affect an encounter.
Interpreting skills, including explaining the interpreter's role, managing communication flow, fostering direct communication between provider and patient, maintaining professional distance, diffusing conflict, and clarifying instructions diplomatically.
Ability to work effectively with parents, physicians, hospital personnel at all levels, and embassy personnel.
Ability to understand medical terminology and direct patients to appropriate specialty areas.
Ability to respond effectively to families from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
Ability to work independently, efficiently, and professionally with minimal supervision.
Ability to identify problems and find effective solutions.
Strong interpersonal skills, customer service, and responsiveness.
Detail-oriented and highly organized.
Demonstrated public-speaking skills.
Ability to work as part of a team and independently, and to make administrative decisions.
Excellent telephone listening and written and verbal communication skills.
Employees with patient-facing responsibilities or who work in patient-care buildings must receive an annual influenza vaccine.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree.
Customer service experience in a healthcare setting.
Experience with Salesforce, Excel, or the Epic electronic health record.
International life experience and experience serving an international clientele in a work environment.

Responsibilities

Coordinate services and support for international patients and families receiving care at CHOP.
Serve as a resource for CHOP physicians, allied health staff, and other professionals regarding international patient access information.
Liaise among families, physicians, and office personnel to support coordinated care.
Build productive relationships with internal and external constituents, including embassy contacts.
Provide hospital tours and presentations about GPS services to embassy and special VIP visitors.
Coordinate and support special events, including Ramadan, Eid, and embassy visits.
Welcome families to CHOP and greet them in the GPS clinic.
Facilitate communication between families and the GPS clinic team during triage and ensure new referral inquiries are handled efficiently.
Work with the GPS clinical nurse coordinator and access coordinator to support efficient care.
Support case management teams by uploading patient records and images brought to clinic.
Confirm financial clearance with the Global Medicine Operations Counselor before appointments are scheduled in the GPS clinic.
Enter patient communications in Epic and upload medical records and images to Epic media.
Complete MERS screening for newly arrived patients.
Address problems and concerns compassionately and in real time.
Remain available on call for emergencies, including acute changes in patient status, a child's death, and after-hours arrival of newly admitted families.
Coordinate with embassies and funeral homes to arrange transportation to a patient's home country in end-of-life situations.
Travel to airports, including JFK, PHL, and Dulles, with the CHOP Transport team to meet direct admissions, welcome families, and assist with customs and luggage.
Interpret during emergencies and emergency department visits when no interpreter is available, until one can be secured.
Maintain strict confidentiality.
Provide welcome orientation to new international patients, including a hospital tour and review of the GPS orientation binder.
Explain the CHOP system, how to contact GPS, and procedures for emergencies, the emergency department, and the After-Hour Program.
Collect passports and assist families with consent and embassy forms.
Help families obtain a cell phone and local phone number and open a local bank account.
Show families essential hospital facilities, including the emergency department, outpatient clinics, outpatient registration, and the operating room arrival site.
Introduce families to the GPS office, multilingual staff, and available communication resources.
Teach families how to access the After-Hours Program and identify their MRN, physician, and after-hours phone system.
Schedule interpreter services and airport transportation as needed.
Complete a second orientation one week after arrival to check that families are comfortable and their stay is progressing smoothly.
Collaborate with Environmental Services and conduct weekly rounds to check that international patients' inpatient needs are met.
Work with Language Services to arrange interpreters.
Coordinate with the Hospitality team on transportation and lodging requests for discharged patients.
Work with Health Information Management, PCAM Radiation, Radiology, Cardiology, Neurology, and the pathology lab to request and collect records for discharged patients.
Coordinate with the pathology lab to process and collect pathology slides.
Work with OR, MRI, and Sedation teams when international patients are scheduled for procedures.
Partner with the GPS social worker and escalate matters requiring social work intervention.
Visit and support all inpatients twice weekly or as needed.
Work with the CHOP pharmacy to facilitate flu-season immunization registration and scheduling for parents and siblings.
Maintain accurate Salesforce data and Epic demographic information.
Help families find the cashier's office to pay for services when needed.
Contact families daily with appointment reminders and NPO instructions.
Provide information about U.S. immigration and customs and visa application procedures.
Help families complete stay-renewal applications and make I-94 or USCIS calls.
Assist families with handicap placard applications.
Conduct patient-family surveys and address service-recovery opportunities in real time.
Order office supplies.
Create monthly on-call templates and schedules and share them with the team.
Participate in professional development activities and organizations to stay informed about current trends, practices, and developments.