Patient Advocate

Rogers Behavioral Health•Brown Deer, WI

About The Position

The Patient Advocate responds to patient-facing inquiries at Rogers Behavioral Health and works to maintain, develop, and strengthen patient-provider relationships. The role supports Rogers’ mission and vision, compliance, patient safety, and quality improvement programs and policies. Responsibilities include supporting the handling of patient compliments and complaints, responding to grievances informally and formally, participating in compliance, patient safety, and quality improvement projects, and facilitating provider and care-team education and training. The position conducts audits, monitoring, chart reviews, interviews, and collaborative reviews of patient incident and advocacy activities across Rogers sites and levels of care. It helps ensure incidents are recorded and tracked accurately, prepares findings and management action plans, tracks follow-up, and uses metrics and reporting tools to inform decisions and process improvements. The Patient Advocate also educates staff about applicable regulations, standards, and policies; supports patient safety and risk reduction; and collaborates with stakeholders to address risks and implement appropriate corrective actions. The role calls for a professional, collaborative, and solutions-focused approach, sound judgment, confidentiality, and the ability to communicate effectively with all levels of staff. It may require travel by car or air to Rogers locations based on business needs. The position requires a post-employment physical examination by a licensed physician to verify the ability to perform job duties.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in healthcare, nursing, social services, business, or a related field.
Minimum five years of experience in a healthcare setting, specifically in patient safety, patient relations, quality improvement, compliance, or risk management; this experience is listed as preferred.
Wisconsin-licensed registered nurse in good standing, or full independent licensure as an LPC, LMFT, LCSW, or equivalent in the state of practice; listed as preferred.
Knowledge of patient incident reporting systems and customer service or service recovery principles.
General knowledge of hospital clinical and operational practices and procedures.
Excellent communication skills, customer focus, proficiency, leadership ability, and professional integrity.
Self-starter with the ability to work independently, make independent judgments, and set priorities.
Working knowledge of federal and state healthcare laws and regulations.
Strong proficiency with Adobe, Adobe Creative Suite, and Microsoft Office products.
Ability to work quickly and effectively in a fast-paced, detail-oriented environment while meeting deadlines.
Valid driver’s license and insurable status under the Rogers Memorial Hospital insurance policy.
Basic Life Support (BLS) certification and Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (NCI) certification.
Excellent attention to detail, writing, verbal communication, analytical, and research skills; ability to communicate effectively with all levels of staff.
Ability to handle challenging situations involving possible adverse outcomes and to maintain a calm, professional demeanor under pressure.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and build collaborative professional relationships while influencing others.
Ability to plan, control, and manage healthcare compliance program activities.
Ability to travel by car and/or air to Rogers locations as business needs require.
Must be physically and mentally able to perform job duties, as verified by a post-employment physical examination.
Ability to walk, sit, and stand; lift at least 20 pounds; reach, handle, grasp, and use manual dexterity to operate equipment.
Verbal, hearing, numerical, reading, and written communication abilities needed to interact with coworkers, staff, auditors, consultants, and other third parties; tact, logical thinking, and discretion for decision-making.

Nice To Haves

Electronic health record software experience, such as Cerner or Epic.
Case management or workflow solutions/management software experience, such as SAI360 or NAVEX.
At least five years of healthcare experience in patient safety, patient relations, quality improvement, compliance, or risk management.
Registered nurse license in good standing with the Wisconsin State Board of Nursing, or full independent licensure as an LPC, LMFT, LCSW, or equivalent in the state of practice.

Responsibilities

Ensure accurate recording, tracking, and completeness of reported incidents.
Assist in developing tools and metrics to track the effectiveness of patient incident reporting processes.
Plan, coordinate, and implement awareness, education, and training for patient incident reporting and patient advocacy programs.
Foster a speak-up culture and employee confidence in incident reporting.
Collaborate with departments to direct patient complaints, grievances, and risk issues to appropriate channels and support process improvements.
Support patient safety and quality initiatives through projects and risk-reduction duties.
Conduct routine audits and monitoring of patient incident and advocacy activities across Rogers sites and levels of care, based on identified needs and risks.
Interview and collaborate with care teams and staff; lead discussions about applicable regulations, standards, and Rogers policies.
Provide education, training, and resources to management and staff.
Prepare written summaries, findings reports, and management action plans.
Conduct chart reviews and track action items through timely follow-up and resolution.
Use metrics and reporting tools for tracking, trend analysis, and decision-making.
Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure risks to patients or the organization are corrected appropriately and corrective actions are applied consistently.
Promote a respectful, honest, team-oriented workplace; support change and consider others’ perspectives.
Use emotional intelligence to communicate effectively and develop leaders and staff; evaluate employees objectively and provide periodic coaching and feedback.
Ensure team members follow Rogers policies and procedures; promote department goals and the Rogers mission, communicate goals, and demonstrate measurable achievement.
Maintain department policies and procedures and educate new staff about applicable regulations or requirements as directed.
Resolve peer issues constructively and collaborate with Human Resources on conflict resolution and investigations.
Understand budget variances and their departmental impact; provide leadership guidance and technical guidance to departments.
Include requirements and guidelines from external agencies, including The Joint Commission and the State of Wisconsin.
Communicate function backlogs to the appropriate party at established intervals.
Demonstrate acceptance of and provide training to student interns as directed.
Participate in Rogers committees, performance-improvement team meetings, and team projects as directed.
Demonstrate punctuality, preparedness, effective communication, organization, and a positive, solutions-focused approach.
Maintain professional conduct and attire; respond to inquiries and complete tasks promptly and communicate concerns with potential solutions.
Perform other duties as assigned.