Patient and Family Advocate

As a Patient and Family Advocate at Shore Regional Health, your key responsibilities include investigating patient and family concerns, providing crisis intervention, and mediating complex situations that may arise. You will respond to complaints and grievances both verbally and in writing, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. Your work will involve collaborating closely with medical staff, nurses, and facility leadership to reach resolutions for concerns at the most appropriate level, thus enhancing patient and family experiences throughout our healthcare system.

To qualify for the Patient and Family Advocate role at Shore Regional Health, a high school diploma is required, with a bachelor's degree in a healthcare-related field preferred. Additionally, candidates should have a minimum of two years of experience in a healthcare environment, along with proficiency in Microsoft Office applications. Strong verbal and written communication skills are essential for synthesizing investigation facts and responding compassionately to feedback, making interpersonal, conflict resolution, and problem-solving skills vital for success in this role.

The Patient and Family Advocate position typically operates full-time, with regular hours from 8 am to 4:30 pm, allowing you to maintain a work-life balance while being a part of an essential team at Shore Regional Health. This role supports both inpatient and outpatient environments, enabling you to engage deeply with various patient experiences.

At Shore Regional Health, we are committed to your professional growth and development as a Patient and Family Advocate. We provide ongoing training opportunities and support a collaborative work environment that encourages learning, innovation, and continuous improvement in patient advocacy. Our aim is to empower you to make a meaningful impact on patient care and experience.

The pay range for the Patient and Family Advocate position at Shore Regional Health is between $21.753 and $26.587 per hour, depending on experience and qualifications. This compensation reflects our commitment to recognizing the value and impact of the critical work you will perform in enhancing patient and family experiences.

In addressing a challenging situation, it's effective to use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method. Provide a brief overview of the situation you faced, detail the specific tasks you were responsible for, explain the actions you took to resolve the issue, and conclude with the positive outcome. Emphasize your communication skills and your approach in collaborating with the patient, family, and healthcare team.

Highlight your proactive approach to conflict resolution by outlining techniques such as active listening, empathy, and maintaining a calm demeanor. Discuss the importance of understanding all perspectives involved and how these strategies have proven effective in de-escalating conflicts and fostering constructive dialogue.

Share your structured approach to investigations. Emphasize gathering all relevant information, listening attentively to concerns, and documenting findings. Discuss how this thorough methodology allows you to ensure fair and balanced responses to complaints and how you communicate back to the patient or family the findings and proposed resolutions.

Empathy is a cornerstone of patient advocacy. Explain how understanding the emotional states of patients and families enhances your ability to respond effectively to their concerns and build trust. Discuss your techniques for demonstrating empathy during interactions and how it positively impacts patient experiences.

Draw from specific experiences to illustrate your collaboration with healthcare teams. Describe how teamwork was critical in resolving a patient issue, highlighting communication strategies you used, and emphasizing the shared goal of improving patient care and outcomes. Mention any challenging discussions that led to successful resolutions.

Discuss your method for assessing urgency and importance when prioritizing tasks. You could mention tools or systems you utilize to stay organized, such as to-do lists or scheduling software, and how you remain adaptable to changing priorities while ensuring that patient needs are always your top priority.

Explain your approach to handling written grievances, focusing on maintaining professionalism, clarity, and empathy in your written communication. Highlight your experience in crafting responses that address concerns while reinforcing the commitment of Shore Regional Health to patient satisfaction.

You could emphasize the significance of compassion and effective communication as essential qualities for a Patient and Family Advocate. Discuss how these qualities help to foster an environment of trust and healing, ultimately improving the patient experience and ensuring that their voices are heard and valued.

Address this by explaining the importance of maintaining a calm and respectful demeanor. Discuss de-escalation strategies, active listening, and how you would validate their feelings while working towards a constructive solution. Showcase your ability to turn challenging interactions into opportunities for positive engagement.

Share your personal motivations, such as a commitment to improving patient experiences and a desire to make a difference in the community. Discuss specific positive outcomes you’ve witnessed in previous roles that reaffirm your passion for patient advocacy and underscore the impact you hope to have in this position.