WHY UT SOUTHWESTERN?
With over 75 years of excellence in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, UT Southwestern is committed to excellence, innovation, teamwork, and compassion. As a world-renowned medical and research center, we strive to provide the best possible care, resources, and benefits for our valued employees. Ranked as the number 1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth according to U.S. News & World Report, we invest in you with opportunities for career growth and development to align with your future goals. Our highly competitive benefits package offers healthcare, PTO and paid holidays, on-site childcare, wage, merit increases and so much more. We invite you to be a part of the UT Southwestern team where you’ll discover a culture of teamwork, professionalism, and a rewarding career! 

JOB SUMMARY
The Patient Rights Advocate serves as a key resource for patients, families, and staff to ensure the protection of patient rights and the promotion of ethical, equitable, and patient-centered care. As part of The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW), this role supports compliance with UTSW policies, Texas state regulations, The Joint Commission standards, CMS Conditions of Participation, and behavioral health‿specific regulatory requirements. This position will report to the Director of Accreditation. 

BENEFITS
UT Southwestern is proud to offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Our benefits are designed to support your overall wellbeing, and include:

• PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
• 100% coverage for preventive healthcare-no copay
• Paid Time Off, available day one
• Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
• Paid Parental Leave Benefit
• Wellness programs
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer
• Learn more about these and other UTSW employee benefits!

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

Required

• Education
  Bachelor’s Degree in Healthcare Administration, Social Work, Nursing, Psychology, Public Health, or related field. 
   

• Experience
  3 years of experience in healthcare, behavioral health, patient advocacy, risk management, compliance, or related area. 
  Knowledge of patient rights regulations, including HIPAA, CMS Conditions of Participation, and The Joint Commission standards. 
  Strong written and verbal communication skills. 
  Ability to manage sensitive information with discretion and professionalism. 
   

Preferred

• Education
  Master’s Degree n Social Work (MSW), Healthcare Administration (MHA), Public Health (MPH), Nursing, Psychology, or related field. 
   

• Experience
  Experience in an academic medical center or inpatient behavioral health setting. 
  Training in trauma-informed care and/or crisis intervention. 
   

JOB DUTIES

• Educate patients, families, and caregivers regarding patient rights and responsibilities, including rights specific to behavioral health and psychiatric care.
• Establishes and enforces standardized intake, classification, investigation, and resolution protocols for complaints and grievances
• Receive complaint/allegations of violation of rights, inadequate provision of services.
• Investigate patient complaints and grievances in accordance with UTSW and regulatory requirements.
• Facilitate resolution of concerns through mediation, collaboration, and escalation when appropriate.
• Ensure timely documentation, tracking, trending, and reporting of complaints and grievances.
• Support patients in understanding informed consent, advance directives, privacy (HIPAA), and decision-making rights.
• Monitor compliance with federal and state laws related to patient rights, including Texas Mental Health Code (as applicable), CMS regulations, and The Joint Commission standards.
• Partner with, Legal, Compliance, Quality, and Behavioral Health leadership to address systemic issues.
• Participate in survey readiness activities and assist with regulatory audits related to patient rights.
• Identify trends and recommend process improvements to enhance patient experience and regulatory compliance.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to ensure a safe, therapeutic, and recovery-focused environment.
• Serve as a liaison between patients, families, clinical teams, and administration in complex behavioral health situations.
• Represent the expressed desires of patients by advocating for the resolution of their grievance and informing them of results of investigations, when appropriate.
• Provide training to staff on patient rights, complaint and grievance processes, and ethical standards.
• Support initiatives that enhance patient engagement, equity, and inclusion.
• Prepare reports and dashboards for leadership review.
• Analyze complaint trends to identify opportunities for quality improvement.
• Provides direct supervision to assigned staff, including oversight of daily operations, performance management, and staff development.
• Review of all policies, procedures, behavior therapy programs, and rules which affect the rights of persons receiving services.

SECURITY AND EEO STATEMENT

Security
This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code 51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information.

EEO
UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.