The Director of Patient Relations oversees teams responsible for managing patient complaints and grievances, as well as spiritual care services. This leadership role is essential in supporting patients, families, and staff during challenging circumstances, while advancing OHSU’s commitment to enhancing the overall patient and family experience and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

 

This role collaborates closely with departments and leaders across the organization, requiring the ability to build strong, trust-based relationships. The director provides direct support and guidance to patient grievance case managers, hospital chaplains, and administrative staff, offering clinical insight to help non-clinical team members navigate complex situations with empathy and clarity.

 

In addition to overseeing day-to-day operations, the director contributes strategic insight to drive system-wide

improvement. They help align organizational initiatives with patient experience goals and ensure that policies and processes reflect the diverse needs and voices of patients across the health system.

 

To succeed in this role, the director must lead with empathy, act with fairness, and communicate with transparency. This position serves as a role model for being objective, supportive, and people-focused, helping ensure that every patient is treated with dignity and that OHSU consistently upholds its core values.

Operations

• Lead the Patient Relations and Spiritual Care teams, ensuring they deliver prompt, equitable, and compassionate support to patients, families, and staff.
• Ensure all patient complaints and grievances are managed in compliance with CMS Conditions of Participation, state and federal laws, and OHSU policies. 
• Act as a subject matter expert on patient rights and responsibilities, guiding teams across the organization through training, consultation, and policy interpretation.
• Provide clinical insight to support non-clinical staff in navigating complex patient situations related to grievances and spiritual care. 
• Develop and manage standard workflows to support consistent processes for patient complaint and grievance management. 
• Collaborate with departments such as Risk Management, Legal, and Public Safety to strengthen patient safety, institutional transparency, and cross-team coordination.
• Contribute to institutional wellness and staff support through involvement in programs like the Critical Incident Debriefing Team and Schwartz Rounds. 
• Participate in policy development, review, and implementation related to patient rights and organizational standards, and help socialize changes across teams.

Team Support

• Oversee and mentor a multidisciplinary team comprising patient grievances case managers, chaplains, and administrative staff.
• Hold regular check-ins, provide timely feedback, and support professional growth through coaching conversations, including GROW discussions.
• Foster and cultivate a team culture rooted in empathy, transparency, collaboration, and accountability.
• Engage team members in identifying operational improvements that enhance experiences for patients, families, and staff.
• Promote team well-being, resilience, and a shared sense of purpose in alignment with OHSU’s mission and values.

Data and Insights

• Develop, monitor, and manage the department’s operating budget, including variance reporting and financial performance tracking.
• Lead development and reporting of the department’s improvement plans using the OHSU Performance Excellence (OPEx) structure.
• Provide institutional perspective and insights to help align system-wide initiatives with patient experience goals.
• Analyze trends in patient feedback and grievances to identify areas for improvement and share findings with leadership to guide strategic decision- making.
• Create clear and accessible reports, presentations, and educational materials that inform and engage stakeholders across the organization.

Other duties as assigned

• Master’s degree or higher in Ethics, Health Care Advocacy, Behavioral Science, Social Work, Nursing, or another related field.
• At least 5 years of experience in healthcare leadership, patient advocacy, or a related field
• Proven ability to supervise and support multidisciplinary teams with a minimum of 3 years of managing direct reports
• Strong understanding of CMS Conditions of Participation and patient rights regulations
• Demonstrated ability to manage sensitive or complex situations with empathy, fairness, and professionalism 
• Demonstrated experience in cultural competency and humility, working with diverse populations (patients, students, employees, community members at large)

Job Related Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (Competencies):

• Strong working knowledge of OHSU policies related to Patient Rights and Responsibilities, grounded in federal and state law and DNV regulatory requirements
  • Includes familiarity with CMS Conditions of Participation (as described in DNV NIAHO Standards), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and Oregon Senate Bill 1606
• Deep understanding of organizational leadership principles, including change management, team dynamics, and collaboration across complex systems
• Excellent leadership and innovation skills, with the ability to contribute to and create new ideas, standard workflows, and policies that support and socialize patient rights and responsibilities 
• Demonstrated ability to lead and facilitate conflict resolution and problem-solving among multidisciplinary teams, including physicians, nurses, case managers, and leaders 
• Proven success in building and maintaining collaborative relationships with a wide range of internal stakeholders (e.g., unit leaders, Government Relations, Risk Management, Legal, Board members, and the President’s Office) 
• Excellent critical thinking and decision-making skills under pressure, with the ability to prioritize and complete multiple tasks in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, and follow through on complex assignments with minimal direction 
• Skilled in verbal and written communication, with the ability to speak to large groups, write clear documentation, and adapt messages to suit a range of audiences 
• Strong understanding of budget management and resource allocation, including the ability to track spending and promote fiscal responsibility 
• Able to engage with patients, families, and staff using a trauma-informed, respectful approach

• Health literacy certification
• Formal training in biomedical ethics
• Experience in Critical Incident Stress Debriefing
• Experience in a large academic medical center setting
• Experience with EPIC or other patient information software
• Experience with RLDatix or other patient complaint and grievance management software

This is primarily an on-site working position with flexible scheduling and some remote work. Typical schedule is Monday – Friday, 8 AM – 5 PM PST.

Oregon Health & Science University values a diverse and culturally competent workforce. We are proud of our commitment to being an equal opportunity, affirmative action organization that does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of any protected class status, including disability status and protected veteran status. Individuals with diverse backgrounds and those who promote diversity and a culture of inclusion are encouraged to apply. To request reasonable accommodation contact the Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Department at 503-494-5148 or aaeo@ohsu.edu.