Manager of Patient Relations

Overview

Marin Community Clinics, founded in 1972, is today, a multi-clinic network with a wide array of integrated primary care, dental, behavioral, specialty and referral services. As a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), we provide vital health services to almost 40,000 individuals annually in Marin County. The Clinics regularly receive national awards from the Health Resources and Services Administrations (HRSA). Our Mission is to promote health and wellness through excellent, compassionate care for all.

The Manager of Patient Relations is a mission-driven professional passionate about patient advocacy, service excellence, and the equitable delivery of healthcare. This individual ensures that every patient’s concern, complaint, or grievance is handled with integrity, compassion, and regulatory compliance strengthening Marin Community Clinics commitment to quality, transparency, and patient-centered care.

Reporting to the Director of Patient Access Services (or Chief Operations Officer, depending on structure), the Manager of Patient Relations provides operational oversight and strategic leadership for the grievance and patient advocacy program. This role drives system-wide improvements in patient communication, service recovery, and compliance with state and federal grievance regulations, while ensuring that patient voices are central to organizational learning and quality improvement.

• Serve as the organizational lead for the patient grievance and complaint process, ensuring all cases are received, logged, investigated, and resolved in accordance with MCC policy, HRSA, CMS, and California regulatory standards.
• Provide direct supervision and support to the Patient Grievance Coordinators, ensuring consistent application of policies, high-quality case management, and development of staff.
• Develop, implement, and maintain standardized workflows and policies for grievance handling, documentation, reporting, and escalation.
• Partner with the Chief Operations Officer, Director of Access, Chief Medical Officer, Risk & Compliance, and Clinic Managers to address systemic service and quality issues identified through patient feedback.
• Act as a key liaison between patients/families and clinic leadership, ensuring patient concerns are acknowledged and addressed promptly, respectfully, and equitably.
• Oversee the grievance tracking database; maintain accurate documentation and case records; ensure timeliness and completeness of all investigations and responses.
• Lead root-cause analyses of high-risk or recurring complaints and coordinate corrective action plans with responsible departments.
• Develop and distribute regular reports and dashboards on grievance trends, outcomes, and compliance indicators to executive leadership, the Quality Committee, and Board of Directors as appropriate.
• Provide coaching and training to clinic leadership, front-line staff, and providers on patient communication, service recovery, and the grievance resolution process.
• Partner with the Quality, Compliance, and Risk teams to align grievance processes with patient safety, compliance, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Represent MCC in patient rights and grievance-related audits, investigations, or regulatory reviews.
• Collaborate with external agencies (e.g., Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans, DHCS, HRSA) to ensure timely response to external grievances and appeals.
• Drive the integration of patient feedback into strategic planning, operational decision-making, and quality initiatives.
• Champion a culture of empathy, accountability, and learning by modeling excellent communication and conflict-resolution practices.
• Participate in system-wide initiatives related to access, equity, and patient satisfaction, leveraging grievance data to identify opportunities for service improvement.
• Ensure all grievance correspondence (acknowledgment and resolution letters) meet professional and regulatory standards.
• Review and approve timecards, manage workloads, and foster staff development through mentoring and performance feedback.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Director of Access or Chief Operations Officer.