Patient Concerns Consultant

Your Opportunity:

As a Patient Concerns Consultant (PCC) with Alberta Health Services (AHS), you play a key role in helping patients, families, staff, leaders, and practitioners resolve concerns about care and services. Guided by the Patient Concerns Resolution Process (PCRP) under Alberta's Patient Concerns Resolution Process Regulation (28/2016), you ensure concerns are addressed fairly, respectfully, and promptly. Referrals may come from patients, families, contracted providers, professional Colleges, the Alberta Ombudsman, Health Advocates, Protection for Persons in Care, the Minister of Health, or senior AHS leadership. Many cases are complex, trauma-related, and sensitive, requiring careful coordination and compassion. Working collaboratively with operational, medical, and senior leaders, you listen and respond to feedback, initiate timely and consistent reviews, and support resolution in accordance with legislation. You foster strong relationships, promote open communication, and build awareness of the concerns process among patients, families, and partners. You may attend and facilitate meetings such as family conferences and quality reviews, contribute to quality improvement initiatives, and share learnings across the system. In supporting feedback providers who may feel stressed or uncertain, you guide them through written, verbal, or direct engagement. You engage patients and families in discussions about system improvements while reinforcing AHS's commitment to safe, high-quality care. Success in this role requires strong skills in de-escalation, critical thinking, problem-solving, time management, and clear communication. The PCC role is governed by AHS policy and provincial legislation, including the Ombudsman Act, Health Information Act, FOIP/POPA, Mental Health Act, and Protection for Persons in Care Act.

Description:

Patient Concerns Consultant role requires demonstrated competency in managing complex cases across adult, pediatrics, and senior population while navigating conflict resolution in diverse clinical and community settings. This position demands a deep understanding of Alberta's healthcare system, including patient feedback and concern processes that often involve sensitive, high-risk, and clinically varied situations. Concerns may be clinical, ethical, procedural, or technical in nature, and typically require a high degree of independent judgment, emotional resilience, and the ability to manage high-conflict interactions involving patients, families, and staff. In addition, the role calls for strong leadership and strategic thinking skills to address multifaceted concerns and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders in support of system-wide improvements.

• Classification: Consultant
• Union: Exempt
• Unit and Program: Patient Relations
• Primary Location: Southport Tower
• Location Details: Eligible to work hybrid (on/off site) within Alberta
• Negotiable Location: Provincial
• Employee Class: Regular Full Time
• FTE: 1.00
• Posting End Date: 04-DEC-2025
• Date Available: 29-DEC-2025
• Hours per Shift: 7.75
• Length of Shift in weeks: 2
• Shifts per cycle: 10
• Shift Pattern: Days
• Days Off: Saturday/Sunday
• Minimum Salary: $30.90
• Maximum Salary: $53.08
• Vehicle Requirement: Not Applicable

Required Qualifications:

A bachelor's degree in health care or a related field is required. Candidates must have a minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible clinical experience within a large, complex, and diverse health care organization. This experience should demonstrate the ability to manage complex patient cases and navigate multidisciplinary environments. In addition, applicants must have extensive involvement in managing trauma-related cases within the last eight (8) years, showcasing strong judgment, resilience, and the capacity to work effectively under pressure in high-stakes situations.

Additional Required Qualifications:

This role involves managing emotionally charged or trauma-related cases and may not be suitable for individuals sensitive to such content. The PCC position is decision-critical, requiring real-time issue resolution, conflict de-escalation, and frequent multitasking across phone, email, virtual, and online communication channels. It demands rapid, independent decision-making under pressure due to unpredictable escalations. Screen time requirements include regular computer use for case documentation, email correspondence, incident reviews, and administrative tasks. Screen use often exceeds two 45-minute blocks per day, particularly during escalations or virtual meetings supporting feedback providers, families, and operational leaders. These meetings may range from 1 to 3 hours. The role requires immediate familiarity with feedback provider and patient rights, broad organizational policies and procedures, and system-specific concerns resolution processes. Strong adaptability, resilience, and the ability to maintain focus in high-stakes environments are essential.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experienced with HQCA's Patient Concerns Resolution Framework and related legislation, including the Ombudsman Act and PCRP Regulation. Skilled in concerns management, conflict resolution, mediation, ethical decision-making, and disclosure. Knowledge of HQCA Disclosure of Harm Framework and provincial legislation such as the Health Information Act, FOIP/POPA, Mental Health Act, and Protection for Persons in Care Act.