Patient Relations Specialist

Patient Relations Specialist(Job )

Job title:

Patient Relations Specialist

Job

Site: CA:

ON:

Toronto:

St. Michael's Hospital

Work type:
Full-Time Permanent

Date posted:
August 17, 2026

Close date:
August 31, 2026

Salary range:

Shift/ hours of work:

The Patient Relations Specialist supports Unity Health Toronto’s commitment to the best care experiences, created together, promoting care and service that reflects the organization’s Mission and Values and Care Experience Charter. Reporting to the Manager of Patient Experience, the Patient Relations Specialist leads the fair, timely and effective review and resolution of patient/family feedback across the organization’s three hospital sites. This role serves as a central point of contact for patients and families with inquires/concerns /compliments and is responsible for intake of information and coordinating and supporting leaders and physicians in the review and follow up of patient concerns.

The role is integral in communicating the patient/family voice to key stakeholders, managing the resolution of complex complaints along with tracking/trending feedback data to identify opportunities for service recovery and continuous quality improvement in the organization with the goal to improve the care experience. The role is responsible for imparting knowledge and best practices in patient relations with the organization and building internal capacity through strong engagement with organizational leaders, physicians and staff.

The Patient Relations Specialist is also responsible for management of the feedback database, documenting/coding feedback, ensuring integrity of the data and report generation. This position works across all sites.

Main Responsibilities:

• Serves as a central contact in the organization, accountable for the intake, documentation and notification to leadership of patient and family feedback regarding the care and service (complaints, inquiries, compliments)
• Facilitates the fair, thorough and timely review and response of complex patient/family complaints (including chart reviews, meetings with patients, leadership and physicians and the coordination and tracking of case follow up), including response to escalations to the Patient
• Ombudsman’s office or regulatory colleges
• Problem-solves, mediates and negotiates the resolution of conflict between patients/family and the Health Care
• Team to restore relationships and assists in diffusing anger and escalated situations
• Engages and supports patients/families through the critical incident review process, ensuring their voice is included in the process and works with leadership to facilitate communication of review outcomes
• Develops written communications on behalf of organization in response to patient and family feedback including high risk, sensitive issues
• Identifies quality of care, safety, high risk/high profile issues through complaint investigations
• Manages the RL6 Feedback Database including appropriate documenting and coding of feedback, ensuring integrity of feedback data, report generation and providing input into system optimization and effectiveness
• Analyzes and interprets feedback data, identifying trends, and making recommendations to leadership regarding areas of focus for improvement
• Leads the orientation of new managers, directors, chiefs to the Patient Relations process including use of RL6 feedback database
• Builds internal capacity as an expert resource, sharing knowledge/best practices in patient relations through strong engagement and coaching with organizational leaders, physicians and staff
• Provides support for patients/families to navigate the system, interpret policy/legislation.
• Develops and contributes to the review and enhancement of department processes

Qualifications: