PATIENT EXPERIENCE SPECIALIST

Overview

The Patient Experience Specialist is responsible for leading collaborative, organization‑wide patient experience improvement initiatives throughout the Covenant HealthCare enterprise. This position is a key driver in implementing effective improvement plans, serving as a highly visible coach to leaders, managers, and front‑line staff, and ensuring that the patient experience at Covenant HealthCare reflects the organizational mission. The specialist demonstrates excellent customer service performance, consistently aligning attitude and actions with Covenant HealthCare’s Vision, Mission, Values, and the commitment to Extraordinary Care for Every Generation.

Responsibilities

• Synthesizes patient experience/HCAHPS performance and feedback from a variety of sources, identifies challenges and barriers, creates appropriate interventions, and supports achievement of patient experience improvement goals.
• Actively rounds in patient care settings to observe interactions, speak with patients and families about their experiences, and assess the physical environment (e.g., bulletin boards, signage, clutter) to help leadership identify opportunities to enhance customer service.
• Tracks and monitors performance to goals, developing recommendations for continuous HCAHPS and Press Ganey score improvement.
• Reports findings and progress through formal oral and written presentations to senior leaders, physicians, department managers/directors, and other care team members.
• Collaborates with department leadership to interpret HCAHPS & Press Ganey data/reports and provides guidance on performance improvement initiatives and best practices.
• Analyzes organizational patient experience data to provide proactive consultation, coaching, and direction to directors, managers, physicians, and staff on service improvement methods.
• Manages the Service Recovery program and coaches staff in successful service recovery approaches.
• Serves as a visible and enthusiastic champion, providing day‑to‑day leadership in implementing patient experience improvement initiatives.
• Recruits and maintains an active patient/family advisory council to supply detailed patient experience feedback.
• Ensures appropriate employee and department recognition of patient experience excellence through internal recognition programs and informal team/unit recognition approaches.
• Works with senior and department leadership teams to continuously evaluate progress, identify and mitigate barriers, and achieve targeted results.
• Provides change management and team‑building support to leaders.

Qualifications

Education / Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Healthcare Administration, Business, or related field (Master’s preferred).
• Minimum 3 years of experience in healthcare with emphasis on customer service and patient experience.
• Certified Patient Experience Professional (CPXP) designation preferred.
• Experience leading and facilitating teams and work groups.
• Experience implementing quality/performance improvement programs in a complex organization.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Understanding of customer service and patient experience concepts, including HCAHPS requirements.
• Knowledge of statistical analysis and ability to interpret Press Ganey and HCAHPS survey processes.
• Demonstrated understanding of effective organizational change processes.
• Positive, enthusiastic, and energetic professional image.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Collaborative leadership practices and goal‑setting ability.
• Operational proficiency with computer data analysis, presentation, and general communication applications.
• Ability to research, analyze, and interpret data, identify problems, and propose actionable solutions.
• Strong interpersonal skills with physicians, leadership, staff, and community resources.
• Ability to develop actionable plans that add value to patients and families and enhance the Covenant patient experience.
• Capability to establish and maintain strong collaborative relationships.
• Skill in teaching and coaching customer service principles.
• Ability to influence physicians, leaders, and staff toward improvement.

Working Conditions / Physical Demands

• Maintain punctual attendance consistent with ADA, FMLA, and other federal, state, and local standards.
• Frequent lifting up to 10 lb; occasional lifting up to 50 lb.
• Frequent standing, walking, sitting, talking, hearing, near‑vision, mid‑range vision, and far vision.
• Occasional twisting, reaching, handling, feeling, depth perception, color vision, and field of vision tasks.