Patient Advocacy Coordinator (Hybrid)

Cedars-Sinai•Los Angeles, CA

3d•$34 - $48•Hybrid

About The Position

Under the direction of Patient Advocacy leadership in the Office of Patient Experience, the Patient Advocacy Coordinator assists with and carries out the Section’s daily activities, with particular emphasis on the organization’s complaint and feedback process. The coordinator serves as a liaison between Administration and complainants or Health Plans, working with collaborators across the organization to coordinate and manage patient complaints and grievances. The role ensures that documentation, investigation, resolution, and follow-up comply with organizational policy and accreditation, regulatory, and licensing requirements. The coordinator manages daily complaint and grievance activities involving Health Plans and admitted or discharged patients, including on-site rounds with patients and families and handling high-profile or complex situations as an intermediate link between complainants and management. The position also supports staff training and mentoring, outreach and education about grievance processes, and maintenance, production, and analysis of related data and reports. Other duties may include clerical work and coordination and implementation of processes and programs supporting the Office of Patient Experience and Cedars-Sinai.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED required.
At least two years of experience in a customer service-related position handling customer complaints required.

Nice To Haves

Associate of Arts or Sciences degree in business, healthcare, or a similar major preferred.
Bachelor’s degree is a plus.
One year of experience in a healthcare setting with general knowledge of hospital systems and functions preferred.

Responsibilities

Act as a liaison among patients and families, Health Plans, Medical Staff Officers, Senior Leadership, service line and nursing management, and other relevant parties in the patient complaint and grievance processes.
Conduct on-site rounds and meet face to face with patients and families to address concerns at the point of care, collaborating with clinical staff to document, escalate, and resolve issues as appropriate.
Assess complaints and determine appropriate interventions and escalations to unit management, executives, department chairs, Peer Review, or Executive Leadership.
Coordinate the complaint and grievance process, including timely and accurate triage, acknowledgment, follow-up, response, and closure; review responses and seek additional information as needed.
Use judgment and experience when preparing and signing acknowledgment and follow-up response letters, ensuring complainants’ concerns are addressed.
Collaborate with Medical Affairs, Risk Management, Legal Affairs, the Privacy Office, Patient Financial Services, and other partners to resolve complaints and grievances thoroughly.
Enter complaint information accurately and promptly into relevant databases and maintain organized filing systems and database records.
Refer complaints and compliments according to established processes and report follow-up findings for MD Feedback cases to Medical Staff Leadership on a recurring basis.
Monitor turnaround expectations for follow-up responses and document subsequent interactions with complainants in the applicable systems.
Educate institutional colleagues about the grievance process and provide guidance on de-escalation, conflict resolution, and customer service issues.
Assist with developing and presenting educational outreach materials, including presentations about complaint and grievance processes, insurance grievances, or related CS-Safe data reports.
Provide initial training and ongoing mentoring to new Patient Advocacy Department staff and serve as a role model and resource for handling patient service issues and complaints.
Perform other assigned duties, including clerical work and coordination and implementation of Office of Patient Experience and Cedars-Sinai processes and programs.