Manager - Patient Relations

EvergreenHealth•Kirkland, WA

About The Position

Leads the department responsible for patient complaints, grievances, and service recovery. Fosters a culture of responsiveness, safety, and patient-centered care. Ensures timely investigation and resolution of concerns. Partners across departments to drive process improvements and a consistent high-quality patient experience. Functions as a key liaison to clinical leaders, administrative teams, and patients and families, this position is responsible for translating feedback into actionable improvements while maintaining compliance with CMS, Joint Commission (TJC), and other regulatory requirements.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Social Services, Hospital Administration, or other related field
5 years of hospital operations experience
Strong communication, presentation, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
Proven ability to achieve positive outcomes working with patients, families, employees, and physicians.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Public Health, Social Services, Hospital Administration or other related field.
Advanced training in mediation, negotiation, or conflict resolution techniques.
Experience analyzing patient feedback and grievance data to inform process improvement initiatives.
Experience with safety reporting or complaint management systems and interdisciplinary collaboration with Risk, Quality, or Compliance teams.

Responsibilities

Supervises, mentors, and evaluates the Patient Relations team, fostering a high-performing, patient-centered department. Supports professional growth through coaching and targeted development plans.
Oversees the intake, investigation, and resolution of patient complaints and grievances. Ensures compliance with CMS, TJC, HIPAA, and other regulatory requirements.
Communicates effectively with department and clinical leaders, physicians, patients, and families, translating concerns into timely, actionable resolutions.
Leads system- and process-improvement initiatives to enhance the safety reporting and grievance management system, including optimizing workflows, data collection, reporting, and patient experience outcomes.
Develops and delivers education and guidance for department staff, clinical leaders, and users of the safety event/complaint reporting system as needed.
Analyzes trends in patient feedback and grievance data. Shares insights with senior leadership and the Board to drive continuous quality, safety, and patient experience improvements.
Partners with Risk Management, Quality, Compliance, and Patient Experience to integrate patient feedback into safety initiatives, policy updates, and organizational risk mitigation strategies.
Acts as a liaison for patients and families, ensuring their experiences inform departmental policies, service recovery efforts, and operational improvements.
Develops and maintains departmental policies, procedures, and standard workflows to ensure consistency and regulatory compliance.
Performs other duties as assigned.