Administrative Assistant - Patient Advocate- Richmond Community Hospital

This role combines patient advocacy with administrative office support to bridge communication between patients and medical staff, resolve formal complaints, protect patient rights, and ensure optimal office operations.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the hospital’s patient advocate, receiving concerns and inquiries from patients, families, visitors, hospital staff, and physicians.
• Follow regulatory and internal processes to ensure the best patient experience and service recovery.
• Refer unresolved or formal patient complaints to appropriate internal points of contact (e.g., administration, risk management, department managers, quality, pastoral care, physicians) and follow up to ensure responses are shared with leadership.
• Provide feedback to individuals who reported concerns.
• Document concerns in software using professional, unbiased language and ensure timely, grammatically correct written communication.
• Assist patients in understanding their rights and responsibilities, including reviewing the Patients’ Rights and Responsibilities statement.
• Utilize the concern monitoring system to identify trends, system problems, and recommend improvements.
• Maintain confidentiality per hospital policy.
• Participate in interdepartmental teams to reduce patient concerns.
• Conduct daily rounds of inpatient and outpatient areas to resolve immediate concerns and foster a caring atmosphere.
• Recommend policy and procedure changes to improve quality of care for patients, families, and visitors.
• Serve as a resource person for hospital committees as requested.
• Report all known/observed incidents/occurrences to ensure completion of occurrence reports.
• Demonstrate and promote Service Excellence in all interactions with volunteers, staff, patients, and families.
• Provide training, scheduling, and counseling for Patient Advocate volunteers.
• Prepare correspondence, reports, presentations, meeting agendas, and minutes.
• Coordinate departmental and committee meetings, as well as leadership calendars.
• Schedule appointments, conferences, educational sessions, and special events.
• Maintain confidential files, records, and departmental databases.
• Compile, analyze, and prepare patient experience metrics, departmental reports, and quality dashboards.
• Proofread and edit reports, policies, presentations, and communications for accuracy and professionalism.
• Assist with department budgeting, purchasing requests, invoices, and expense tracking.
• Coordinate volunteer schedules, onboarding documentation, and educational materials.
• Manage incoming telephone calls, visitors, email correspondence, and departmental communications.
• Organize and maintain electronic and paper filing systems.
• Assist leadership with special projects, accreditation preparation, regulatory surveys, and performance improvement initiatives.
• Complete other projects or duties as assigned by the Director of Outpatient Infusion Center.

Requirements

• High School degree required; Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Communications, Social Work, or related field preferred.
• Minimum of 1 year of experience in patient services, customer service, or healthcare office settings.
• Experience assessing and solving problems with diverse groups of internal and external callers and visitors.
• Experience in conflict management.
• Previous administrative/secretarial experience, including preparing reports by combining confidential data from multiple sources.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Teams, and Outlook; ability to learn additional software programs.
• Ability to proofread reports, oversee record-keeping, and maintain filing systems.

Pay

$22.02 – $33.04 per hour.

Benefits

• Competitive pay, incentives, and referral bonuses.
• 403(b) with employer contributions (when eligible).
• Medical, dental, vision, and prescription coverage, with HSA/FSA options.
• Life insurance, mental health resources, and discounts.
• Paid time off, parental leave, and FMLA leave.
• Short- and long-term disability coverage, and backup care for children and elders.
• Tuition assistance, professional development, and continuing education support.