Patient Representative

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) is a world-leading academic medical center dedicated to ending cancer for life. The Patient Representative plays a critical role in elevating the patient experience by advocating for patient rights, resolving concerns, and partnering with care teams to deliver compassionate, high-quality, and patient-centered care consistently. 

Role Overview 

• Serve as the primary advocate for patient rights and responsibilities across the health system 

• Act as the formal grievance mechanism, investigating and resolving patient and family concerns 

• Respond in real time to incivility, distress, and conflict using de-escalation techniques 

• Lead service recovery efforts to rebuild trust and improve patient satisfaction 

• Conduct proactive rounding to identify concerns early and prevent escalation 

• Partner with clinical and administrative teams to support a culture of service excellence 

• Educate and coach staff on patient experience, communication, and de-escalation best practices 

• Document grievances, interventions, and outcomes accurately within Epic and reporting systems 

• Analyze trends and provide insights to support quality improvement and patient experience initiatives 

Key Qualifications 

• Experience in a patient-facing role within a healthcare setting (hospital or academic medical center preferred) 

• Working knowledge of patient rights, regulatory standards, and grievance processes (CMS, Joint Commission, NYSDOH) 

• Demonstrated ability to manage conflict and high-emotion situations with professionalism and empathy 

• Proficiency with electronic medical records, preferably Epic 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including formal documentation of investigations 

• Ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams and build organizational trust 

Core Skills 

• Conflict resolution and incivility de-escalation in high-stress environments 

• Service recovery and proactive patient engagement 

• Relationship-building across clinical and administrative teams 

• Clear, empathetic, and professional communication 

• Sound judgment, discretion, and emotional resilience 

Additional Information: 

• Schedule: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Monday – Friday with a floating Saturday shift a few times a year.  

• Location: On-Site; MSK Locations in NY and/or NJ 

• Reporting To Manager, Patient Relations 

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