Patient Education Specialist Lead

Gifthealth•Columbus, OH

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Patient Education Specialist Lead reports to the Patient Education Manager and oversees comprehensive patient education delivered by Patient Education Specialists. The role drives exceptional patient and client experiences through effective patient care education, operational excellence, and continuous improvement. It partners cross-functionally to resolve complex patient issues, improve satisfaction metrics, and support the Customer Success Team while ensuring alignment with organizational goals and compliance standards. The Lead supervises and mentors the team, oversees nursing functions, monitors service quality and workflow performance, and ensures compliance with procedures and applicable regulations. The role also provides patient education, documents encounters, maintains educational resources, and supports staff licensure, continuing education, and compliance training. The position is described as hybrid or remote. The schedule requires availability between 8:00 A.M. and 8:00 P.M., Monday through Friday, with occasional night and weekend hours based on business needs and cross-facility travel as needed. The role includes regular meetings with internal teams and may include meetings with external vendor and consultant partners. Essential physical functions include remaining stationary for extended periods, working on a computer throughout the shift, and attending virtual meetings.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Active, unrestricted RN license.
3–5 years of clinical nursing experience.
Knowledge of nursing principles, practices, and standards of care; adult learning principles; common medical conditions, treatments, medications, and diagnostic procedures; regulatory and accreditation standards; and patient-centered communication.
Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
Collaboration and teamwork skills.
Strong assessment, documentation, and EMR skills.
Ability to design or update educational materials to tailor them to individual patient needs.

Nice To Haves

Training in pediatric and adult education principles.
Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist credential.
Prior authorization experience.
Obesity and disease management experience.
3–5 years of nursing leadership experience.
5 or more years of clinical nursing experience.
Knowledge of pharmacy operations, chronic disease management, preventative care, wellness education, and emerging treatment protocols.
Curriculum development, advanced presentation, and group facilitation skills.
Data tracking and educational outcome evaluation skills.
Ability to analyze patient education trends.

Responsibilities

Supervise and mentor Patient Education Specialists to support patient and client success.
Oversee nursing functions within the Patient Education Specialist team.
Ensure team members follow standard operating procedures and comply with federal and state regulations.
Create an environment in which customers feel welcome, important, and appreciated.
Monitor and provide feedback on the quality of patient interactions, work queue volume and management, and client-defined SLAs.
Work from workflow queues to maintain appropriate volumes and turnaround times.
Document patient encounters in accordance with clinical, regulatory, and organizational requirements to support accurate communication and care coordination.
Assess patient understanding, barriers, and readiness to learn, and adapt teaching methods to support comprehension.
Provide one-on-one and group education about diagnoses, medications, procedures, and care instructions.
Partner cross-functionally to resolve complex patient issues, improve satisfaction metrics, and ensure exceptional patient experiences.
Ensure team members obtain and maintain required licensure and complete required courses, continuing education, and compliance training.
Review workflows, job aids, and other department resources and recommend updates.
Create and maintain evidence-based educational materials, including handouts, digital resources, and teaching tools, that meet regulatory and organizational standards.