"Healthcare Experience Program Manager"

Healthcare Experience Program Manager

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Job Summary

The Healthcare Experience Program Manager advances a culture of service excellence and continuous improvement across the CU School of Medicine Community Practice Division. This role leads patient, staff, and provider experience initiatives that promote empathy, communication, and patient- and family-centered care.

Working closely with leadership, the Program Manager analyzes experience data, coordinates division-wide improvement projects, and serves as the primary contact for escalated patient and staff concerns. The role also partners with the Manager of Education & Compliance to deliver training programs that enhance communication and service recovery skills across clinics. This position is ideal for a dynamic professional who excels in collaboration, data-driven improvement, and fostering positive relationships in healthcare environments.

Key Responsibilities

Patient Experience (40%)

• Lead and coordinate programs to improve patient and family experience across Community Practice clinics.
• Analyze patient feedback and Epic data to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Partner with leadership to define outcome measures and develop transparent benchmarking tools.
• Respond to escalated concerns with empathy and ensure timely resolution.
• Communicate results and actionable strategies to drive service excellence and patient-centered care.

Staff Experience (30%)

• Collaborate with leadership to build a culture of respect, accountability, and teamwork.
• Manage and analyze staff and provider engagement surveys to inform improvement efforts.
• Develop and implement action plans that enhance workplace culture and well-being.
• Coordinate recognition and team-building activities that foster belonging and collaboration.
• Support psychologically safe work environments where all staff feel valued and supported.

Provider & Staff Training (20%)

• Develop and deliver training on patient experience, communication, service recovery, and de-escalation.
• Partner with the Manager of Education & Compliance to design and improve new hire orientation.
• Facilitate workshops that strengthen empathy, communication, and customer service skills.
• Evaluate training effectiveness using participant feedback and outcome data.
• Provide coaching and educational resources to promote consistency in service excellence.

Additional Responsibilities (10%)

• Participate in strategic planning and integration of new programs across clinics.
• Lead project management activities to advance patient and staff experience outcomes.
• Analyze and report experience data for leadership and quality improvement initiatives.
• Represent the division on committees and community partnerships supporting quality and engagement.
• Demonstrate professionalism, adaptability, and accountability in a dynamic healthcare environment.

Work Location

Hybrid - this role is eligible for a hybrid schedule of 4 days per week on campus and as needed for in-person meetings.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree in healthcare administration, public health, nursing, business, psychology, organizational development, or a related field.
• Four (4) or more years of experience in a healthcare or customer service environment, including patient or client interaction, service recovery, and supervision or leadership responsibilities.

Substitution: A combination of education and related technical/military/paraprofessional experience may be substituted for a bachelor's degree on a year-for-year basis.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in healthcare administration, nursing, business, organizational leadership, or related field.
• Experience in a healthcare setting focused on patient experience, quality improvement, staff engagement, or customer service excellence.
• Experience with Epic reporting and dashboards, NRC Health or other patient experience survey platforms, and workforce or engagement survey tools.
• Experience designing, delivering, and evaluating training programs related to communication, service recovery, or de-escalation.
• Experience with NRC, Press Ganey, HCAHPS, or comparable experience frameworks.
• Certification or formal training in Lean, PDSA, Six Sigma, or other process improvement methodologies.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Must be able to work both independently and in a collaborative environment.
• Must be able to maintain a high level of adaptability and excel with interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence.
• Strong group facilitation and conflict management skills.
• Demonstrated knowledge of HIPAA, as well as state and federal regulatory requirements.
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to identify regulatory gaps or risks.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and teaching skills.
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects across geographically distributed sites.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both in writing and orally.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees at all levels throughout the institution.
• Outstanding customer service skills.
• Must have strong presentation skills to showcase credibility and effectiveness.
• Must be able to perform the professional and/or technical competencies of the assigned unit or department.
• Must be able to recognize and respond appropriately to urgent/emergent situations.
• Computer Skills: MS Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, Excel.
• Strong medical terminology knowledge and skills.
• Ability to identify problems and recommend solutions.
• Ability to adhere to all policies and procedures, including but not limited to standards for safety, attendance, punctuality, and personal appearance.
• Within the scope of the job, requires critical thinking skills, decisive judgement, and the ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment and take appropriate action.

Anticipated Pay Range

The starting salary range (or hiring range) for this position has been established as $79,844 to $101,561.

How to Apply

For full consideration, please submit the following document(s):

1. A letter of interest describing relevant job experiences as they relate to the listed job qualifications and interest in the position.
2. Curriculum vitae / Resume
3. Three to five professional references, including name, address, phone number (mobile number if appropriate), and email address

Questions should be directed to: JD Ainsworth (JD.AINSWORTH@CUANSCHUTZ.EDU).