Patient Experience Care Companion, Patient Experience - Full-Time, Days

The University of Chicago Medicine•Chicago, IL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Be a part of a world-class academic healthcare system, UChicago Medicine as a Patient Experience Care Companion in the Patient Experience department. This position is a 100% onsite opportunity. You will need to be based in the greater Chicagoland area. Provides dedicated non-clinical support to inpatients during evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays. Focuses on comfort, communication, and logistics, serving as a liaison between patients, families, and hospital support departments while strictly avoiding clinical responsibilities.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent
Strong interpersonal and customer service skills
Ability to remain calm in a hospital environment
Strong communication and problem-solving skills
Basic computer proficiency
Ability to work independently overnight
4-5 years experience in a healthcare setting

Nice To Haves

Experience in healthcare hospitality, concierge, or patient-facing roles
Familiarity with hospital operations
Experience working with diverse populations

Responsibilities

Conduct scheduled comfort rounds on assigned patients during after-hours shifts
Address environmental and non-medical comfort needs (blankets, pillows, lighting, temperature adjustments, room setup)
Provide a calm, reassuring presence to reduce anxiety and promote rest
Facilitate interpreter services and assist patients with phone/video communication with family
Assess and triage patient requests by determining whether needs are non-clinical (comfort, environment, communication, logistics) or clinical (symptoms, pain, medical devices, condition changes) and immediately notify nursing staff of any medical or safety concerns observed or reported. Follow established escalation pathways for urgent issues (e.g., patient distress, fall risk observations, behavioral concerns, environmental hazards) while remaining within a strict non-clinical scope.
Serve as the after-hours liaison between patients/families and hospital support departments, ensuring timely coordination with:
Environmental Services (cleaning needs, spills, room resets)
Dietary/Food Services (approved meal or snack requests)
Maintenance/Facilities (room temperature, lighting, equipment concerns)
Security (visitor issues, safety concerns, lost items)
Guest Services/Concierge (amenities, lodging info, special comfort items)
Initiate service requests, as needed, using hospital communication systems (phone, ticketing platforms, paging systems, or service apps) and clearly document request details, urgency, and follow-up status.
Coordinate delivery of approved comfort or personal items such as toiletries, comfort kits, blankets, or belongings dropped off by family, ensuring adherence to infection control and security policies.
Verify completion of service requests by following up with departments and confirming with the patient that the need was resolved satisfactorily.
Track and prioritize multiple requests during busy periods, ensuring urgent comfort or safety-related needs are addressed first while maintaining clear communication with patients about expected timeframes.
Provide real-time updates to patients and families regarding the status of non-clinical service requests to reduce anxiety and improve transparency.
Document all service coordination activities by maintaining a service log (requests received, actions taken, time-to-resolution, escalation notes) in designated logs or systems, including escalations to clinical staff and unresolved issues requiring daytime follow-up and provide a structured handoff to daytime program and operations teams to ensure seamless follow-up.
Run and review daily schedules for outpatient and inpatient National, Special Programs patients to ensure accuracy of upcoming appointments, procedures, and inpatient coordination needs and share it with the daytime team.
Verify financial clearance status for upcoming services by reviewing documentation and addressing any missing approvals or coverage concerns with the appropriate finance teams.
Serve as the after-hours point of contact for incoming phone calls, addressing non-clinical inquiries directly and routing clinical or urgent matters to the appropriate nursing or physician teams.
Support urgent coordination for emergency department arrivals or hospital transfer cases by promptly notifying and connecting with the appropriate clinical teams, while ensuring all non-clinical logistical communication is facilitated efficiently.
Serve as the after-hours non-medical contact for families (directions, visiting guidelines, amenities, lodging info)
Assist with approved virtual or in-person visits in alignment with hospital policy
Provide logistical updates only — no clinical information
Help coordinate approved transportation or lodging resources when applicable
Facilitate access to meals, snacks (if permitted), and comfort items during off-hours
Support retrieval or delivery of personal items according to policy
Monitor unit environment to ensure quiet, safe, and restful conditions overnight
Report housekeeping, maintenance, or safety concerns promptly
Serve as additional “eyes and ears” to identify and escalate comfort or environmental issues
Log non-clinical interactions and service requests in designated systems
Maintain after-hours communication records
Provide structured handoff to day teams regarding unresolved non-clinical needs
Follow HIPAA, privacy, and patient rights policies
Maintain professional boundaries at all times
Report safety or security concerns immediately
Other duties as assigned.