Job Details

The Patient Advocate is charged with helping a patient’s hospital journey go as smoothly as possible by acting in the best interest of the patient. Dignity, respect, and consideration are the cornerstones of patients’ rights. The advocate operates within an ethical construct, seeks to promote the patient's interest first and foremost, and then promotes relationships between staff and patients. These efforts lead to a more positive and individualized healthcare experience, recognizing the diversity and uniqueness of each person. The advocate proactively communicates and demonstrates the concern and responsiveness of the patient advocacy service and provides a specific channel through which patients can seek solutions to problems, concerns, and unmet needs. The Patient Advocate requires providing service to all age populations- from infants to frail elderly, in a manner that demonstrates an understanding of the functional/developmental age of the individual served.

Job Description

Essential Functions

• Interacts with co-workers, visitors, and other staff consistent with the values of Jefferson.
• Investigate and manage complaints by patients, their families, visitors, staff members, and other healthcare consumers and work with all necessary parties toward a complaint’s resolution. The Patient Advocate will comply with federal regulations from HIPAA, CMS guidelines, and various patients’ rights laws.
• Intervene in crises and negotiate resolutions between conflicted parties. 

• Proactively round on patients and families while in the hospital.

• Works closely with the nurse manager, physician, nursing staff and other clinical and non-clinical members to investigate the goals of resolution of the complaint/situation.

• Document all complaints, grievances, and interactions in the electronic feedback system and work independently or support Quality and Safety with complaints and grievances through the case's close. 

• Other Duties as assigned.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements:

Education:

Associate’s Degree

AND

Experience:

Three years of experience working in a service-oriented organization, preferably in a healthcare setting required. 

Minimum Certifications, Registration or License Requirements:

Certificate of Patient Advocacy Preferred

Work Shift

Workday Day (United States of America)

Worker Sub Type

Regular

Employee Entity

Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, Inc.

Primary Location Address

111 S 11th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America

Nationally ranked, Jefferson, which is principally located in the greater Philadelphia region, Lehigh Valley and Northeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey, is reimagining health care and higher education to create unparalleled value. Jefferson is more than 65,000 people strong, dedicated to providing the highest-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients; making our communities healthier and stronger; preparing tomorrow's professional leaders for 21st-century careers; and creating new knowledge through basic/programmatic, clinical and applied research. Thomas Jefferson University, home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Jefferson College of Nursing, and the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce, dates back to 1824 and today comprises 10 colleges and three schools offering 200+ undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 8,300 students. Jefferson Health, nationally ranked as one of the top 15 not-for-profit health care systems in the country and the largest provider in the Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley areas, serves patients through millions of encounters each year at 32 hospitals campuses and more than 700 outpatient and urgent care locations throughout the region. Jefferson Health Plans is a not-for-profit managed health care organization providing a broad range of health coverage options in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for more than 35 years.    

Jefferson is committed to providing equal educa­tional and employment opportunities for all persons without regard to age, race, color, religion, creed, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, marital status, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, military status, veteran status, handicap or disability or any other protected group or status. 

Benefits

Jefferson offers a comprehensive package of benefits for full-time and part-time colleagues, including medical (including prescription), supplemental insurance, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, short- and long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, retirement plans, tuition assistance, as well as voluntary benefits, which provide colleagues with access to group rates on insurance and discounts. Colleagues have access to tuition discounts at Thomas Jefferson University after one year of full time service or two years of part time service. All colleagues, including those who work less than part-time (including per diem colleagues, adjunct faculty, and Jeff Temps), have access to medical (including prescription) insurance.

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