Facilities Complaint Intake Specialist; HSC DOH

Job Opportunity at Washington State Department of Health

This recruitment is for one permanent and one non-permanent appointment. These full-time onsite positions are located at our DOH facility in Tumwater, WA. The non-permanent appointment has a duration of 6 months.

The Opportunity

This position is within the Office of Health Systems Oversight (OHSO), whose role is to support the department's mission to work with others to protect and improve the health of people in the state of Washington by contributing to safe care and providing oversight of state-licensed and federally certified clinical and behavioral health entities, and by ensuring they meet applicable standards.

Join a high-impact team dedicated to patient safety!

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Receive incoming complaints via online database, mail, fax, telephone (including hotline), email, or in-person.
• Manage intake channels including the shared facility email inbox, team voicemails, and physical mail.
• Meet in person with complainants at the Tumwater campus.
• Review sensitive content containing personal, confidential, and graphic health information, including criminal or sexual allegations.
• Review for jurisdiction and refer complaints to alternate agencies or disciplining authorities when necessary.
• Identify duplicate records or companion cases to see if information needs to be added to an existing file.
• Contact complainants directly to obtain additional or clarifying information for incomplete submissions.

Triage & Urgent Risk Assessment

• Assess for imminent danger regarding patient safety within two business days or required timelines.
• Prioritize urgent complaints and coordinate fast-track routing to the Case Management Team.
• Monitor high-priority cases continuously to ensure they receive appropriate, immediate attention.

Case File Creation & Data Management

• Create complaint records and unique case numbers, documenting the respondent, complainant, and the nature of the allegation.
• Create physical and electronic case files using office protocol and operational scanning tools.
• Forward completed files to the designated Case Manager for formal assessment.
• Record information in databases across applicable state and federal electronic systems within performance timelines.
• Update database tracking with current case status, including adding warning flags for pending cases.
• Maintain and crosscheck data to resolve discrepancies and ensure database accuracy.
• Assist with closing complaints in the database after a no-action determination is made by Case Management.

Customer Service & Partner Liaison

• Provide general customer service to assist the public, internal staff, and external customers with filing complaints.
• Maintain communication lines through written and verbal correspondence regarding case status and questions.
• Answer routine questions about agency procedures, policies, and services.
• Accommodate special requests by taking complaints over the phone to comply with ADA and Reasonable Accommodation guidelines.
• Triage inbox inquiries to analyze and resolve incoming customer requests.
• Refer callers out to the appropriate authority, office, or agency if the department cannot assist them.

Administration, Collaboration & Physical Operations

• Collaborate internally with case managers, program managers, investigators, staff attorneys, and credentialing staff.
• Handle confidential documents securely in accordance with agency privacy policies and protocols.
• Manage physical files by accessing, organizing, and maneuvering archive boxes weighing up to 30 pounds.
• Navigate high-density storage to retrieve records from ground level up to heights above five feet.
• Identify process improvements to improve accuracy, timeliness, efficiency, and customer service.

Why You'll Love This Role

You'll be part of an engaged, in-person team doing work that directly supports patient safety and helps people navigate important concerns about health care services. You'll review and organize complex information, communicate with the public and regulatory partners, solve problems and help make sure complaints get to the right place at the right time. You'll build a strong understanding of Washington's health care regulatory system while working closely with case managers, investigators, program managers, and other partners.

You'll also have opportunities to improve how the work gets done by identifying efficiencies, strengthening the quality, and helping the team meet critical timelines.

Required Qualifications

There are multiple…