Manager, Patient Relations

About the role

The Manager, Patient Relations leads CHKD’s patient relations operations and provides expert guidance and operational support to the Patient Relations team. The role is responsible for ensuring that patient relations operations are driven by effective and efficient processes that are focused on patient satisfaction and issue resolution. This position reports to departmental leadership.

Responsibilities

• Leads patient relations operations, ensuring consistent, timely, and effective issue resolution in alignment with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Conditions of Participation and CHKD policy.
• Serve as the subject matter expert for grievance classification, regulatory interpretation, and best practices in patient- and family-centered communication.
• Provide day-to-day operational leadership and support to the Patient Relations team, including guidance on complex, sensitive, or high-risk cases.
• Coordinate with clinical, operational, legal, quality, and risk partners to gather information, support investigations, and facilitate effective resolution.
• Prepare, analyze, and present grievance program data and trends to generate actionable insights that inform leadership decision-making and performance improvement initiatives.
• Ensure timely, accurate, and respectful written grievance responses to patients and their representatives, when required by regulation or policy.
• Maintain complete, accurate, and survey-ready documentation, including grievance logs, case files, correspondence, and supporting materials.
• Support staff education and competency development related to complaint versus grievance distinctions, escalation criteria, service recovery, and regulatory expectations.
• Lead, manage, coach, and mentor assigned staff to promote accountability, professional growth, engagement, and high-quality performance.
• Oversee personnel management functions, including recruitment, hiring, onboarding, performance management, coaching, corrective action, and, when necessary, termination processes.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field required (e.g., Healthcare Administration, Public Health, Social Work, Nursing, or a closely related discipline).
• Five (5) or more years of progressive professional experience in patient relations, quality, risk management, or comparable field required, including at least two (2) years within a healthcare environment.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree preferred (MHA, MPH, MSW, MSN, or a related graduate degree).
• Experience supporting organizational quality improvement, grievance resolution, regulatory compliance, or patient experience initiatives.

Skills

• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Demonstrated technical aptitude and comfort using workflow management tools, databases, and electronic documentation systems.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, exercise sound judgment, and maintain professionalism in sensitive or high-stress situations.
• Working knowledge of healthcare regulatory and accreditation standards, including CMS Conditions of Participation, DNV-GL accreditation, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) requirements, and patient rights.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, professional documentation and communicate effectively with patients, families, clinicians, and leaders.
• Proven ability to collaborate across multidisciplinary clinical and non-clinical teams in a complex healthcare environment.