Job Title:         Patient Advocate

Pay Range: $17.00 to $25.00 per hour, Depends on Experience (DOE)

Reports To:     N/A

Job Status:      Non-Exempt

 

Summary

Maintains patient rights by educating patients; responding to patient and patient family complaints; resolving patient issues; reporting unresolved issues.

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Responsibilities

• Prevents complaints by counseling with supervisors and managers who see a problem developing; offering suggestions to resolve potential complaints; modifying practices that cause repeated complaints.
• Documents complaints by listening to patient and patient family complaints; documenting details; determining what resolution is sought.
• Resolves complaints by listening to patients and their families; directing them to a physician or supervisor; helping them present facts to the clinic representative; developing acceptable resolutions; following-up on outcomes.
• Alerts administrator by documenting unresolved complaints and potential legal actions.
• Maintains patient and family confidence by keeping complaint information confidential.
• Serves and protects the clinic community by adhering to professional standards, clinic policies and procedures, federal, state, and local requirements, and jcaho standards.
• Improves quality results by studying, evaluating, and re-designing patient complaint processes; implementing changes.
• Attend staff meetings
• Other duties as assigned

Patient Centered Medical Home Essential Responsibilities (Principals)

• Collaborate with individual patients, their personal physicians, and when appropriate the patient’s family to ensure accessible, comprehensive, compassionate, and culturally competent care
• Facilitate care by registries, information technology, health information exchange and other means to assure that patients get the indicated care when and where they need and want it in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.
• Ensure all decisions respect patients’ wants, needs, and preferences and that patients have the education and support they require to make decisions and participate in their own care.
• Continually strive to attend to each patients “whole person,” in the context of the patient’s personal and medical history and life circumstances, rather than focusing on a particular disease, organ, or system

Job Requirements

 

Education:  Associates Degree preferred.

Experience:  2-5 years experience working in a customer service position in a healthcare clinic or medical office.

 

Verbal and Written Skills to perform the job:  Bilingual (English/Spanish). Familiarity with basic word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications.  Accurate keyboarding skills.

Technical knowledge and skills required to perform the job:  Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills and the demonstrated ability to work with diverse individuals and groups.  Demonstrate high levels of self-initiation and direction. Knowledge of communities we serve. Knowledge and experience working in medical settings and interacting collaboratively with medical teams.  Skill in analyzing situations and making timely decisions.

 

Physical and Mental Requirements:  Work involves sitting, talking, hearing, using hands to handle, feel or operate objects, tools, or controls, and reaching with hands and arms. The employee may be required to push, pull, lift, and/or carry up to 20 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

Quality Management

1. Display knowledge of normal signs of human development and ability to assess and provide age appropriate care.

1. Contribute to the success of the organization by participating in quality improvement activities

Customer Relations

1. Respond promptly and with caring actions to patients and employees.  Acknowledge psychosocial, spiritual and cultural beliefs and honor these beliefs.
2. Maintain professional working relationships with all levels of staff, clients and the public.
3. Be part of a team and cooperate in accomplishing department goals and objectives
4. Interacts and communicates in a manner to reflect an understanding of the patient’s age, culture, state of health, and level of comprehension

Safety

1. Maintain current knowledge of policies and procedures as they relate to safe work practices.
2. Follow all safety procedures and report unsafe conditions.
3. Use appropriate body mechanics to ensure an injury free environment.
4. Be familiar with location of nearest fire extinguisher and emergency exits.
5. Follow all infection control procedures including blood-borne pathogen protocols

HIPAA/Compliance

1. Maintain privacy of all patient, employee and volunteer information and access such information only on a need to know basis for business purposes.
2. Comply with all regulations regarding corporate integrity and security obligations. Report unethical, fraudulent or unlawful behavior or activity.

Work Environment

 

1. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate

2. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

 

General Requirements

 

Pre-employment requirements include I-9 verification, physical examination, positive background and reference check results, completed employment application, new hire orientation attendance.

 

OSHA Compliance

1. Comply with all regulations and required schedules regarding OSHA training.

Employee Physical Compliance

1. Required physical to be performed annually.

 

Policies and Procedures Compliance

1. Responsible for following all La Maestra Family Clinic policies and procedures.

Meal Period Compliance (Non-exempt employees only.)

1. Punch out before 5 hours from the start of shift for meal periods.

Sexual Harassment Training (Management employees only.)

1. Comply with all regulations and required schedules regarding sexual harassment training.

Acknowledgement

La Maestra Community Health Centers is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage applications from all individuals regardless of race, religion, color, sex, pregnancy, national origin, sexual orientation, ancestry, age, marital status, physical or mental disability or any other protected class, political affiliation or belief.

I acknowledge that I have read and understand the attached job description. My signature below certifies that I am able to perform the essential duties and responsibilities of this position. I have also discussed any accommodations that I feel I might need to allow me to perform these essential functions. I agree to abide by all administrative and medical policies and protocols of La Maestra Community Health Centers.