The Director, Patient Experience, Ambulatory Care reports to the Senior Director, Patient Experience, with a dotted line to the VP Ambulatory Care Services and is responsible for leading the division’s understanding of the voice of the patient though analytics, interpretation, presentation of actionable insights, and development of plans aimed at improving patient experience. This role will drive and foster a culture of patient and family centered care, service excellence, and continual improvement in patient experience across ambulatory care. This role works directly with Health System’s leadership team to assess and communicate performance and to create change throughout the ambulatory division.

Essential Job Statements

• Develops and executes strategic patient-centric initiatives related to patient experience across the ambulatory footprint 

• Serves as a resource and consultant to leadership in the identification, assessment and implementation of strategic and operational patient experience initiatives and opportunities designed to improve patient experience 

• Directs and executes patient experience strategic plans across the ambulatory care environment 

• Interfaces measurement partner data, marketing data, surveys, complaints, grievances, rounding, and other inputs to build a holistic understanding of patient perceptions 

• Maintain a data driven program to effectively manage all patient experience activities and strategically develop, refine, and improve performance metrics using patient satisfaction survey tool data. 

• Trains and develops leaders and team members in experience improvement and best practices. 

• Acts as a liaison to the Ambulatory Patient and Family Advisory Council ensuring PFAC feedback is incorporated into patient experience improvement efforts. 

• Creates and deploys patient experience action plans in coordination with service line leaders 

• Maintains a current understanding of industry trends, innovations, programs and best practices to drive improvement in patient experience. Maintains an active understanding of current thinking and innovation interventions/programs regarding patient experience. Monitors national CAHPS and patient experience trends and federal requirements.   

• Designs, develops, implements, and monitors the VCUHS patient experience strategic initiative and activities in a manner that fosters excellence in service to both internal and external stakeholders.  Instills a culture of service excellence across the system. Clearly defines the optimal patient experience including the behavioral changes necessary to achieve cultural transformation throughout the health system. Manages program development and delivery across department and organizational lines 

• Manages ambulatory service recovery program. Ensures service mishaps are corrected by coordinating service recovery efforts utilizing organizational resources. Ensures improvement in service delivery by establishing and managing a process that categorizes service delivery gaps, identifies owner of the service gap and confirms accountability for issue resolution. Is notified of, and helps ensure resolution of any complaints and grievances and manages service recovery of those cases 

• Develops service, educational and training programs related to patient experience throughout the system.  Utilizes coaching, best practices and collaboration to improve service excellence throughout the health system. Works to ensure alignment of people, processes, systems, and rewards across the system 

• Manages any third-party consulting engagement to ensure alignment with system goals and identified priorities 

• Demonstrates expert knowledge and interpretation related to all accreditation, federal regulatory and licensing standards. 

Patient Population 

Not applicable to this position. 

Employment Qualifications 

Required Education: 

Bachelor’s Degree in Health Care Administration, Business Administration, Nursing or other healthcare related field from an accredited program 

Preferred Education: 

Master’s Degree in Health Care Administration, Business Administration, Nursing or other healthcare related field from an accredited program 

Licensure/Certification Required: N/A 

Licensure/Certification Preferred: 

Project Management Professional (PMP) or Certified Patient Experience Professional (CPXP) certification 

Minimum Qualifications 

Years and Type of Required Experience:

• Ten years of progressive healthcare leadership experience, with five of those years in leadership role in patient, consumer, or human experience 

• Proven experience in setting goals, designing, implementing and monitoring plans for improvement in the patient experience.  

• Proven track record of project management, staff training and education.  

• Data Visualization 

• Fluency in patient experience best practices. 

• Social Anthropology fundamentals (ethnography, journey flow mapping) 

• Exceptionally high level of service skills to include expertise with service models, tools, techniques and measurement applications.  

• High level of analytical and interpretation skills.  

• Extensive knowledge of local, state, federal regulations and accreditation standards related to Patient Rights.  

• Demonstrates success in service recovery initiatives.  

• Effective interpersonal and communication skills.  

• The ability to collaborate and facilitate projects at all levels within the Health System.  

• Performance management skills of coaching, guidance and feedback. 

Other Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required: 

Advanced knowledge of various CAHPS surveys, CMS data requirements, patient satisfaction tools, the field of consumer research and complaint/grievance management 

Cultural Responsiveness 

Demonstrates a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through continuous development, modeling inclusive behaviors, and proactively managing bias 

Other Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Preferred: 

Previous experience in an academic medical center environment. 
 

Working Conditions 

 
Periods of high stress and fluctuating workloads may occur.    

General office environment.    

Required to car travel to off-site locations, occasionally in adverse weather conditions. 

May have periods of constant interruptions.   

Physical Requirements   

Physical Demands: Lifting/ Carrying (0-50 lbs.)

Work Position: Sitting, Walking, Standing  

Additional Physical Requirements/ Hazards    

Physical Requirements:

Hazards:

Mental/Sensory – Emotional     

Mental / Sensory: Strong Recall, Reasoning, Problem Solving, Speak Clearly, Reading, Logical Thinking 

Emotional: Fast-paced environment, Able to Handle Multiple Priorities, Frequent and Intense Customer Interactions, Noisy Environment, Able to Adapt to Frequent Change 

EEO Employer/Disabled/Protected Veteran/41 CFR 60-1.4.