Patient Advocate Emergency Department

Mount Sinai Medical Center•Miami Beach, FL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Patient Advocate Emergency Department supports patients and families throughout their Emergency Department visit by making regular rounds, addressing non-clinical comfort needs, explaining the ED process, and providing compassionate updates within role scope and privacy expectations. The role serves as a communication bridge between patients, families, and the care team, supports de-escalation and service recovery, and escalates complex or unresolved issues to appropriate leaders. The Patient Advocate collaborates with ED staff and contributes to patient experience and quality improvement efforts through documentation and sharing feedback.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
1–2 years of experience in customer service, hospitality, patient advocacy, healthcare support, or another public-facing role.
License, registration, or certification is not applicable.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience in a hospital, clinic, Emergency Department, crisis-support, or high-stress service environment.

Responsibilities

Conduct continuous, systematic rounds in ED treatment rooms and waiting areas to assess comfort, identify concerns, and provide timely support.
Address non-clinical needs such as warm blankets, pillows, reading materials, phone chargers, and approved water or snacks when permitted by clinical staff.
Report cleanliness, supply, environmental services, or maintenance concerns to the appropriate department or leader.
Help patients and families understand the Emergency Department process, including triage, testing, treatment flow, consults, disposition planning, and next steps.
Provide compassionate and frequent updates about wait times, test results, imaging, physician evaluations, consults, admissions, transfers, or discharge planning within role scope and privacy expectations.
Serve as a communication bridge for family members and support appropriate information sharing in accordance with HIPAA and hospital policy.
Use active listening, empathy, and de-escalation techniques to respond to signs of patient or family frustration.
Address concerns in real time when possible and partner with ED leadership to resolve dissatisfaction related to communication gaps, delays, comfort needs, or other non-clinical concerns.
Escalate complex complaints, grievances, safety concerns, or unresolved issues to the appropriate leader or team according to hospital process.
Promptly communicate patient concerns, pain complaints, changes in condition, or requests requiring clinical assessment to the assigned nurse, provider, or charge nurse.
Participate in ED huddles and collaborate with nurses, physicians, advanced practice providers, registration, social work, case management, security, environmental services, and patient experience staff.
Document rounding activity, patient concerns, common themes, service-recovery actions, and escalations using the designated departmental tracking process.
Identify trends, share feedback with leadership, and reinforce behaviors that improve responsiveness, communication, safety, and overall perception of care.