Patient Advocate - Smile America Partners

Smile America Partners....The Nation’s Largest In-School Dental Program

For over 20 years, Smile America Partners has been changing children's lives one small-smile at a time. Come join our team in our continuing efforts of providing dental care to children in need.

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We are looking to add a Patient Advocate to our team who will work with dentists and health care professionals to help expand and maintain our program. The services we provide primarily focus on children who suffer from poor oral health care and who may also not have easy access to dental care. We truly believe in the importance of this mission and would welcome you as part of the team.

If you're interested in the mission and want to learn more about this opportunity, please email your contact information to Michael directly at mbannigan@mobiledentists.com . Or apply directly online and we will review your application.

Learn more about Smile America Partners!

http://www.smileamericapartners.com

What we Offer:

• Evenings, Weekends and Summers off!
• Flexible work hours (M-F)
• Excellent benefit packages 
• Competitive compensation 
• Paid Holiday's

Overview:

      The Patient Advocate serves as a liaison between patients and the organization, ensuring that patient concerns, needs, and feedback are addressed in a compassionate and timely manner. This role is essential in promoting patient satisfaction and supporting patient rights by helping to resolve complaints, providing information, and ensuring that patients receive appropriate care. The Patient Advocate works closely with clinical staff, administrative teams, and patients to enhance the overall patient experience.

Duties and responsibilities

Job purpose

The Patient Advocate serves as a liaison between patients and the organization, ensuring that patient concerns, needs, and feedback are addressed in a compassionate and timely manner. This role is essential in promoting patient satisfaction and supporting patient rights by helping to resolve complaints, providing information, and ensuring that patients receive appropriate care. The Patient Advocate works closely with clinical staff, administrative teams, and patients to enhance the overall patient experience.

Duties and responsibilities

Patient Support and Advocacy:

• Serve as a point of contact for patients and families who have concerns or complaints about their care.
• Listen to patient complaints, concerns, or grievances and work collaboratively with clinical staff and other departments to resolve issues.
• Educate patients about their rights and responsibilities, and ensure they are informed about available services and resources.
• Facilitate communication between patients, families, and healthcare providers to ensure concerns are understood and addressed.
• Triage after-hour emergency calls.

Complaint Management:

• Document and track patient complaints, grievances, and feedback, ensuring all concerns are addressed promptly and thoroughly.
• Investigate patient complaints by gathering information from clinical staff, reviewing records, and collaborating with relevant departments.
• Provide timely updates to patients and families regarding the status of their concerns and any actions taken.
• Ensure compliance with organizational policies and regulatory standards related to the handling of patient complaints.

Patient Education and Resource Navigation:

• Provide patients and families with information on dental services, insurance, and billing issues, helping them navigate the organization and healthcare system.
• Assist patients in understanding their treatment plans, including options for care and any post-discharge instructions.
• Connect patients with additional support services such as social work, financial counseling, or community resources when necessary.

Collaboration and Communication:

• Work closely with clinical staff, administrators, and leadership to identify trends in patient complaints and recommend system improvements.
• Participate in patient safety and quality improvement initiatives by sharing insights from patient feedback.
• Attend meetings and provide input on improving patient care and satisfaction from the patient’s perspective.
• Serve as a patient representative in policy discussions or committees focused on improving the patient experience.

Data Collection and Reporting:

• Maintain accurate records of patient interactions, including details of complaints, resolutions, and follow-up actions.
• Analyze data on patient complaints and grievances to identify patterns and areas for improvement.
• Prepare regular reports for leadership on patient feedback, satisfaction, and resolution outcomes.

 Patient Rights and Ethics:

• Ensure that patient rights are respected and upheld throughout their healthcare journey, and that any potential violations are addressed immediately.
• Educate staff on patient rights and advocate for patient-centered care in all interactions.
• Maintain confidentiality and adhere to HIPAA guidelines when handling patient information.

Qualifications

      • Prefer active RDH, RDA, CDA, or EFDA
      • Minimum 3-5 years active clinical practice
      • Minimum of 2-3 years of experience in patient advocacy, customer service in healthcare, or related role.
      • Strong knowledge of government systems, patient rights, and dental terminology.
      • Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage sensitive situations effectively.
      • Empathy and a patient-centered approach, with the ability to remain calm and professional in high-pressure situations.
      • Knowledge of healthcare regulations, including HIPAA, patient rights, and grievance policies.
      • Proficiency in data management and reporting.

Skills and Competencies

      • Accurately assess charting, documentation, and x-rays (identification of specific anomalies)
      • Investigation Training
      • Microsoft Office Suite proficiency
      • Commitment to patient-centered care and service excellence

Physical requirements

Office setting which typically requires time sitting, daily use of general office equipment, computer keyboard, copier, and fax machine, make and receive telephone calls.

Smile America Partners is the nation's leading in-school dental program founded almost two decades ago by two moms, who happen to also be dentists. The founders saw a tremendous need among underserved school aged children who did not have easy access to dental care and who often suffered from poor oral hygiene, tooth decay, pain and associated medical problems. Knowing that many parents could not take their children to the dentist due to issues including time off from work and transportation challenges, they sought to bring the care to the need. Today, through its dental partners, Smile America Partners provides preventive and restorative care to approximately 500,000 children per year.

Tooth decay is the most common, and preventable disease among children, more common than asthma. In fact, each year, over 51 million school hours are lost due to oral health related issues.

Smile America Partners affiliates with state licensed dentists, hygienists and assistants who use state-of-the-art portable equipment to provide all services onsite, directly in the school or in a self-contained mobile dental facility on site at the school. If portable equipment is used, classrooms, auditoriums or other school venues are literally transformed into fully functional dental offices for the day. Our expertise, obtained through years of experience bringing mobile dental care to schools, as well as through our highly qualified staff, enables us to bring exceptional care with minimal disruption to the normal school routine.

Smile America Partners is currently active in 20 states and has ongoing strategic partnerships with over 8,000 school districts, including 21 of the 25 largest school districts in the country.

Given the ongoing lack of access for many underserved children across the country, our services are in great demand and we are always looking for caring, compassionate professionals to join our team and play their part in making a difference in the lives of today's underserved children.

Rewarding Work. Competitive Compensation. Smile America Partners.

Smile America Partners is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation or protected veteran status.