Patient Relations and Risk Management Coordinator (FT) | Risk and Patient Relations | Ames | 2026-218

Patient Relations & Risk Management Coordinator

Ames, Iowa Full-Time | MondayFriday | 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.

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.

McFarland Clinic offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health and dental insurance, 401(k), and PTO. Click here 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.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.