At Houston Methodist, the Patient Liaison position is responsible for acting as an advocate for patient issues effectively interpreting and communicating Houston Methodist's philosophy, policies, procedures and services to patients, their families and visitors and participates in the resolution of problems to maximize patient and family satisfaction This position receives grievances, complaints, and concerns from patients, their families and others; works with patients and families along with department management for resolution in accordance with HM grievance policy and regulatory guidelines. As Patient Liaison, this position liaises between Houston Methodist administration and patients, physicians, and other hospital personnel ensuring a satisfying hospital experience for patients from admission through discharge. As a patient advocate, the Patient Liaison position enables patients and their families to obtain solutions to problems by acting on their behalf.
PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Meets and/or rounds on all new patients. Directs patients and/or families to appropriate resources when specific requests are made, i.e. Medical Power of Attorney, Directives, End of Life issues, etc
Communicates directly with department management, their designee and/or administrative staff regarding specific problems and trends in service
Interacts with patients, families and visitors, providing support and problem solving. As appropriate, consults with Sr Patient Liaisons/supervising leader when problems arise that require an additional level of experience
Contributes towards improvement of department scores for employee engagement, i.e. peer-to-peer accountability.
SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Assigns priority to patient requests and problems and follows the process through to resolution, notifying all parties of status of solution
Interviews patients who have stated a specific need for services. Provides information about services offered by the hospital. Interprets hospital policies and procedures as needed to ensure that the patient understands the @types and levels of services provided
Ensures adequate closure to patient issues through thorough and prompt follow-up facilitating the resolution of problems to the satisfaction of the patient and HM
Intervenes in complaints or conflict with the interests of patients, families, physicians and other inter-professional health care team members to increase patient satisfaction scores and reporting their appreciation, comments, concerns, and/or problems
QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Receives grievances, complaints, and concerns from patients, their families and others; works with patients and families along with department management for resolution. Responds to all grievances according to the HM grievance policy and appropriate regulatory guidelines. Partners with Risk/Quality as appropriate
Utilizes pertinent findings from Patient Satisfaction Surveys, Customer Complaint Data and other sources to identify areas of focus and implement proactive interventions as the patient advocate
Documents results of patient interview, obstacles to delivery of services, grievances, complaints and compliments in appropriate database. When appropriate, initiates a corrective action and sends to department management for investigation and resolution
FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Identifies cost savings or revenue opportunities within the department or Houston Methodist
Utilizes resources with cost effectiveness and value creation in mind. Self-motivated to independently manage time effectively and prioritize daily tasks, assisting coworkers as needed
GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Participates in department projects and process improvement initiatives. Generates and communicates ideas and suggestions that improve quality or service
Seeks opportunities to identify self-development needs and takes appropriate action. Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management. Completes and updates the My Development Plan on an on-going basis
This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; the employee will also perform other reasonably related business/job duties as assigned. Houston Methodist reserves the right to revise job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.
EDUCATION
Bachelor's degree
WORK EXPERIENCE
Two years experience as a patient liaison or comparable health care/customer service/conflict resolution experience
LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS - REQUIRED
N/A
LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS - PREFERRED
BLS - Basic Life Support (AHA)
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations
Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security
Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles
Must have excellent communications skills and be able to relate to patients, families, and across all hospital staff and management
Must be able to work with people of various age groups and cultural backgrounds
Ability to accurately document information and maintain records
Must have excellent problem resolution and crisis management skills
Critical thinking, problem-solving, and mature judgment
Ability to express ideas effectively both in speech and writing
Intermediate level of computer competency - Microsoft Office Suite, and knowledge of health care information systems
SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
WORK ATTIRE
Uniform No
Scrubs No
Business professional Yes
Other (department approved) No
ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. DIsaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.
On Call* Yes
TRAVEL**
Travel specifications may vary by department
May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area No
May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area No
Company Profile:
Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital opened in June 2017 as the eighth hospital in the Houston Methodist system. This 267-bed, 725,000-square-foot, full-service, acute-care hospital offers many of the same services as our flagship hospital in the Texas Medical Center. Also, on the beautiful hospital campus, located at the intersection of Interstate 45 and Texas State Highway 242, are two medical office buildings, which include a Breast Care Center; Cancer Center; infusion center; heart and vascular services; neurology; orthopedics and sports medicine; rehabilitation services; wellness services; an outpatient laboratory; and several other multispecialty physician practices. In January 2022, Houston Methodist The Woodlands opened Healing Tower - a $250 million expansion project that added 106 beds, focused on medical-surgical and women's services, and provided nine operating rooms. The project also included the expansion of the endoscopy center, emergency department and diagnostic imaging department with an enhanced neurodiagnostic and interventional center.
Houston Methodist is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
