Job Details

The incumbent of this position serves as Patient Representative (Patient Advocate) within the Office of Veteran Experience for the Medical Center. This position is responsible for the coordination and implementation of the Veterans Experience and Patient Advocate programs. Major duties consist of serving as liaison between the medical center, patients and staff, and the community regarding the patient experience, patient rights and advocacy.
Major Duties:
* The incumbent serves as the liaison between the medical center, patients and staff, and the community regarding the patient experience, patient rights and advocacy.
* The incumbent serves as the facility Veteran Experience Representative (VER) with primary purpose of this role being to enhance the Veterans experience. The VER will assure the timely resolution of patient and family complaints, identify and participate in the identification and correction of system issues, educate staff regarding patient centered strategies and collect and analyze data in order to identify trends and patterns that create difficulty for patients or families using the Patient Advocate Tracking System (PATS). PATS is a vital resource to patients and managers as the information gained from PATS allows medical center management to understand how well the facility is meeting the expectations of our patients; this information includes concerns voiced by Veterans, significant others, and stakeholders.
* The incumbent will maintain a clear communication between the Veteran population, staff and facility leadership. The incumbent will be responsible for supporting proactive training initiatives including Patient Centered Care Training, New Employee Orientation and New Patient Orientation.
* Incumbent reports and documents patient status and changes, and documents using monthly summaries or quarterly summaries pertaining to both resolved and unresolved patient and/or family concerns.
* Incumbent communicates pertinent information to appropriate parties concisely, accurately and in a timely fashion. Reports significant and relevant information and issues to leadership. Reviews data, performs comprehensive analysis and recommends remedial actions. Performs established follow-up procedures for insuring that remedial actions are implemented in a timely manner and takes independent and appropriate action necessary to implement programs or activities and correct problems.
* Incumbent works with Service Level/Line Patient Advocates/Case Managers and provides a channel through which patients can seek solutions to problems, concerns and unmet needs. Works with health care providers and administrative support staff throughout the medical center in preventing and resolving patient complaints and in enhancing Veteran experience.
* Assists patients in understanding their rights in addition to their responsibilities. Maintains liaison with Veteran's service organizations, community groups, and other entities whose interests are in helping and protecting Veterans, their families and their representatives.
* The incumbent interprets the Medical Center's mission, policies, and procedures, assesses available resources/services/options available to the patient and then represents the patient's problems, opinions and need to appropriate staff and management. Explains entitlements to patients and their families.
* Assists patients, their families and representatives, and facility staff members in recognizing the need to remove institutional barriers to ensure optimum health care is delivered to our Veterans. Identifies existing and potential program areas, suggests solutions or alternatives to existing procedures which contribute to these problems. Acts to resolve problems, expedite services, or implement necessary corrective measures within established facility policies and, where appropriate, through committee participation. Has overall responsibility for the resolution of patient problems. Receives and listens to complaints and grievances from patients or from individuals on behalf of patients that are unresolved at the service level.
* The incumbent is authorized to directly contact any member of the hospital staff concerning problems relating to patient care which were not resolved through the local Service Level/Line Patient Advocate/Case Manager and the incumbent must work with staff to seek a resolution, whenever possible, utilizing the full resources of the health care and VA systems.
Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.
Work Schedule: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm PST; Monday to Friday
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Patient Representative/PD21615A and PD21173A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized