M
Patient Relations & Risk Management Coordinator (FT) | Risk & Patient Relations | Ames | 2026-218
McFarland Clinic
10 hours ago
Full-time
On-site
Ames, Iowa, United States
Registered Nurse
đź“Ť Ames, Iowa
🕒 Full-Time | Monday–Friday | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Occasional evening hours
for special events)
Join Our Team
McFarland Clinic is seeking a compassionate, collaborative, and
detail-oriented Patient Relations & Risk Management Coordinator to join our team
in Ames. This position is ideal for a healthcare professional who is passionate
about patient advocacy, service excellence, quality improvement, and clinical
risk management.
As a key member of our Patient Relations and Risk Management team, this role
will help foster positive patient experiences, support safe
and equitable resolution of concerns, and promote a culture of learning and
continuous improvement. We are looking for an individual who embraces teamwork,
values accountability, and is committed to advancing patient-centered care
through a Just Culture approach.
If you are driven to make a meaningful impact and support our mission
of Extraordinary Care, Every Day, we encourage you to apply.
Position Overview
The Patient Relations & Risk Management Coordinator serves as a vital role in
managing patient concerns, grievances, and clinical risk management activities.
This role collaborates closely with patients, families, healthcare teams, and
organizational leadership to promote patient
satisfaction, identify opportunities for improvement, and support a fair and
consistent approach to accountability and patient safety.
The coordinator plays an important role in strengthening organizational
learning, supporting service recovery efforts, and advancing a culture where
employees feel safe reporting concerns and opportunities for improvement.
Professional Growth & Development
This role offers a unique opportunity to expand expertise beyond traditional
patient care and leverages clinical expertise in a non-bedside role while
continuing to make a meaningful impact on patient care, safety, quality, and
organizational improvement. This role will allow for the
development of specialized skills in patient advocacy, healthcare risk
management, patient safety, regulatory compliance, quality improvement, and Just
Culture principles.
Working closely with organizational leaders, clinical teams, and quality and
safety initiatives, this role provides valuable experience in investigation and
resolution processes, root cause analysis, service recovery, and systems-based
improvement efforts. This position can serve as an excellent career pathway for
professionals interested in leadership, patient experience, quality, compliance,
or risk management.
Hybrid Work Opportunity
To support comprehensive onboarding and training, this position
requires onsite presence initially. Following successful completion of the
training period, employees may have the opportunity to transition to a hybrid
work schedule based on departmental needs and organizational guidelines.
Key Responsibilities
Patient Relations
* Serve as the primary contact for patient and family concerns, feedback, and
service recovery needs.
* Act as a liaison between patients, families, providers, and care teams to
promote respectful, compassionate, and high-quality care.
* Assist patients in navigating clinic and community resources.
* Promote patient rights, responsibilities, and effective communication.
* Collaborate with clinical departments and leadership to resolve concerns
fairly and efficiently using Just Culture principles.
* Provide timely service recovery with empathy, professionalism, and a
solutions-focused approach.
* Prepare clear, professional correspondence that addresses concerns and
communicates resolutions.
Grievance Management
* Manage and track patient grievances in accordance with regulatory
requirements and clinic policies.
* Conduct investigations, gather relevant information,
and facilitate timely resolution of concerns.
* Coordinate responses involving external regulatory and oversight agencies
when applicable.
* Apply Just Culture decision-making principles to support objective and
consistent review of events.
Risk Management Support
* Support clinical risk management activities and related initiatives.
* Identify trends and opportunities for improvement through data review and
analysis.
* Participate in root cause analyses, event reviews, and other quality
improvement processes.
* Utilize Just Culture methodologies to distinguish system factors from
behavioral choices and support appropriate responses.
* Promote a psychologically safe environment that
encourages reporting concerns, near misses, and opportunities for
improvement.
Education & Training
* Provide guidance and education related to patient advocacy, service recovery,
and risk reduction strategies.
* Support organization-wide initiatives to enhance communication skills.
* Assist with the development and delivery of education related to Just
Culture, patient safety, event reporting, and fair accountability practices.
Qualifications
Required Education
* Graduate of an accredited school of nursing; or
* Degree and applicable licensure in a health-related field.
Required Experience
* Minimum of two years of experience in direct patient care, patient
experience, patient relations, risk management, quality improvement, or
related healthcare setting.
Preferred Qualifications
* Experience in patient relations, risk management, quality, compliance, or
healthcare leadership.
* Familiarity with Just Culture principles, patient safety practices, and
healthcare regulatory standards.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
* Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills.
* Strong conflict resolution, mediation, and problem-solving abilities.
* Demonstrated empathy and commitment to patient-centered care.
* Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining attention to detail
and confidentiality.
* Knowledge of healthcare regulations, patient rights, risk management
principles, and service recovery practices.
* Ability to analyze situations objectively and facilitate fair, balanced
outcomes.
* Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and electronic healthcare
systems.
Pre-employment drug screen and criminal history background checks are a
condition of hire.
Benefits
McFarland Clinic offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health and
dental insurance, 401(k), and PTO. Click here
[https://www.mcfarlandclinic.com/media/cms/BENEFIT_SUMMARY_2022Hourly_5698BB42CD3C6.pdf] for
details.
McFarland Clinic is central Iowa's largest physician-owned multi-specialty
clinic. Join our team and join a group of caring professionals, dedicated to
providing Extraordinary Care, Every Day! We value quality care and extraordinary
service, trusting relationships and an exceptional workplace. Our organization
has more than 80 years experience of caring for people. We welcome applicants
who can help us enhance the health and well-being of our patients and
communities we serve.
McFarland Clinic is an Equal Opportunity Employer
McFarland Clinic makes every effort to comply with all requirements of federal,
state and local laws relating to Equal Employment Opportunity.
🕒 Full-Time | Monday–Friday | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Occasional evening hours
for special events)
Join Our Team
McFarland Clinic is seeking a compassionate, collaborative, and
detail-oriented Patient Relations & Risk Management Coordinator to join our team
in Ames. This position is ideal for a healthcare professional who is passionate
about patient advocacy, service excellence, quality improvement, and clinical
risk management.
As a key member of our Patient Relations and Risk Management team, this role
will help foster positive patient experiences, support safe
and equitable resolution of concerns, and promote a culture of learning and
continuous improvement. We are looking for an individual who embraces teamwork,
values accountability, and is committed to advancing patient-centered care
through a Just Culture approach.
If you are driven to make a meaningful impact and support our mission
of Extraordinary Care, Every Day, we encourage you to apply.
Position Overview
The Patient Relations & Risk Management Coordinator serves as a vital role in
managing patient concerns, grievances, and clinical risk management activities.
This role collaborates closely with patients, families, healthcare teams, and
organizational leadership to promote patient
satisfaction, identify opportunities for improvement, and support a fair and
consistent approach to accountability and patient safety.
The coordinator plays an important role in strengthening organizational
learning, supporting service recovery efforts, and advancing a culture where
employees feel safe reporting concerns and opportunities for improvement.
Professional Growth & Development
This role offers a unique opportunity to expand expertise beyond traditional
patient care and leverages clinical expertise in a non-bedside role while
continuing to make a meaningful impact on patient care, safety, quality, and
organizational improvement. This role will allow for the
development of specialized skills in patient advocacy, healthcare risk
management, patient safety, regulatory compliance, quality improvement, and Just
Culture principles.
Working closely with organizational leaders, clinical teams, and quality and
safety initiatives, this role provides valuable experience in investigation and
resolution processes, root cause analysis, service recovery, and systems-based
improvement efforts. This position can serve as an excellent career pathway for
professionals interested in leadership, patient experience, quality, compliance,
or risk management.
Hybrid Work Opportunity
To support comprehensive onboarding and training, this position
requires onsite presence initially. Following successful completion of the
training period, employees may have the opportunity to transition to a hybrid
work schedule based on departmental needs and organizational guidelines.
Key Responsibilities
Patient Relations
* Serve as the primary contact for patient and family concerns, feedback, and
service recovery needs.
* Act as a liaison between patients, families, providers, and care teams to
promote respectful, compassionate, and high-quality care.
* Assist patients in navigating clinic and community resources.
* Promote patient rights, responsibilities, and effective communication.
* Collaborate with clinical departments and leadership to resolve concerns
fairly and efficiently using Just Culture principles.
* Provide timely service recovery with empathy, professionalism, and a
solutions-focused approach.
* Prepare clear, professional correspondence that addresses concerns and
communicates resolutions.
Grievance Management
* Manage and track patient grievances in accordance with regulatory
requirements and clinic policies.
* Conduct investigations, gather relevant information,
and facilitate timely resolution of concerns.
* Coordinate responses involving external regulatory and oversight agencies
when applicable.
* Apply Just Culture decision-making principles to support objective and
consistent review of events.
Risk Management Support
* Support clinical risk management activities and related initiatives.
* Identify trends and opportunities for improvement through data review and
analysis.
* Participate in root cause analyses, event reviews, and other quality
improvement processes.
* Utilize Just Culture methodologies to distinguish system factors from
behavioral choices and support appropriate responses.
* Promote a psychologically safe environment that
encourages reporting concerns, near misses, and opportunities for
improvement.
Education & Training
* Provide guidance and education related to patient advocacy, service recovery,
and risk reduction strategies.
* Support organization-wide initiatives to enhance communication skills.
* Assist with the development and delivery of education related to Just
Culture, patient safety, event reporting, and fair accountability practices.
Qualifications
Required Education
* Graduate of an accredited school of nursing; or
* Degree and applicable licensure in a health-related field.
Required Experience
* Minimum of two years of experience in direct patient care, patient
experience, patient relations, risk management, quality improvement, or
related healthcare setting.
Preferred Qualifications
* Experience in patient relations, risk management, quality, compliance, or
healthcare leadership.
* Familiarity with Just Culture principles, patient safety practices, and
healthcare regulatory standards.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
* Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills.
* Strong conflict resolution, mediation, and problem-solving abilities.
* Demonstrated empathy and commitment to patient-centered care.
* Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining attention to detail
and confidentiality.
* Knowledge of healthcare regulations, patient rights, risk management
principles, and service recovery practices.
* Ability to analyze situations objectively and facilitate fair, balanced
outcomes.
* Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and electronic healthcare
systems.
Pre-employment drug screen and criminal history background checks are a
condition of hire.
Benefits
McFarland Clinic offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health and
dental insurance, 401(k), and PTO. Click here
[https://www.mcfarlandclinic.com/media/cms/BENEFIT_SUMMARY_2022Hourly_5698BB42CD3C6.pdf] for
details.
McFarland Clinic is central Iowa's largest physician-owned multi-specialty
clinic. Join our team and join a group of caring professionals, dedicated to
providing Extraordinary Care, Every Day! We value quality care and extraordinary
service, trusting relationships and an exceptional workplace. Our organization
has more than 80 years experience of caring for people. We welcome applicants
who can help us enhance the health and well-being of our patients and
communities we serve.
McFarland Clinic is an Equal Opportunity Employer
McFarland Clinic makes every effort to comply with all requirements of federal,
state and local laws relating to Equal Employment Opportunity.