Job Description

Job Category: Professional
Hospital Location: Newmarket ON
Job Type: Permanent, Full time
Number of Positions: 1
Minimum - Maximum Hourly Rate: $35.03 - $41.64

Why Join Our Team?

A best-in-class workplace environment that prioritizes a culture of belonging and wellness. Progressive health and dental benefit plans. HOOPP pension plan with employer and employee premium sharing. Enhanced wellness initiatives, including virtual fitness classes and on-site gym memberships.
If you are ready to embrace this exciting challenge and contribute to the success of Southlake Health, we encourage you to apply and be part of our dedicated team, making a difference in the lives of our employees and the community we serve!


About the role:




The Patient Relations Associate supports the intake, documentation, and coordination of patient feedback per the Excellent Care for All Act (ECFAA), organizational policies, and best practices in patient-centered care. The role requires an understanding of relevant legislation, including awareness of the Apology Act, to ensure respectful, compliant, and compassionate communication with patients and families. This position supports the timely resolution of concerns by coordinating meetings, maintaining case documentation, tracking timelines, and providing administrative support throughout the resolution process.




This role supports the patient experience by addressing compliments and minor to intermediate complaints, providing timely responses, and escalating more complex matters to senior representatives. The Associate also participates in simple disclosure conversations, identifies trends and service gaps, and supports the team in fostering a culture of continuous improvement and patient-centred care.

What you'll be doing:

Serves as the primary point of intake for patient feedback through phone, email, and written correspondence. Responds to compliments and minor concerns, and triages more complex complaints to the appropriate Patient Relations Representative. Ensures documentation is accurate, timely, and aligned with internal policy and regulatory requirements. Assists in the resolution of minor and intermediate complaints by liaising with departments and drafting responses under supervision. Participates in simple disclosure conversations alongside Patient Relations Representatives or leadership. Tracks and monitors the status of all open files and provides regular updates to the Manager and team. Supports the implementation of service recovery strategies to enhance patient and family satisfaction. Provides administrative support during disclosure preparation, including document organization and coordinating the availability of key stakeholders. Analyzes patient feedback data to identify recurring themes, emerging risks, or opportunities for improvement. Supports the preparation of summary reports and dashboards highlighting trends and departmental learnings. Works collaboratively with the Patient Experience and Patient Relations teams to develop tools and resources for quality improvement efforts. Participates in departmental quality initiatives aimed at addressing service gaps identified through patient feedback. Maintains awareness of organizational priorities and aligns reporting insights to support patient experience and safety initiatives. Utilizes data from multiple sources including Qualtrics (patient experience surveys), RL6 (incident and compliment reporting), and LEAP (leader rounding data) to develop and maintain departmental scorecards. These scorecards are used to monitor performance, identify trends, and support data-informed decision-making across departments to improve the overall patient experience.

What you bring:

Minimum of a bachelor's degree in human services, social work, psychology or a related field. Alternative dispute resolution, negotiation and mediation training is preferred. Minimum of 1-2 years experience in Patient Experience and Patient Relations required Familiarity with patient relations or complaint management processes in a healthcare setting is an asset. Strong analytical thinking and documentation skills with high attention to detail. Understanding of healthcare privacy and confidentiality practices. Strong conflict resolution and de-escalation skills, with the ability to manage sensitive or emotionally charged situations calmly and respectfully. Maintains professionalism under pressure and in emotionally charged situations Self-motivated and able to work independently with minimal supervision Skilled in basic data analysis and using insights to support quality improvement initiatives Ability to recognize patterns or themes in patient feedback and escalate emerging trends Clear and effective communication skills, with the ability to convey information in a respectful, concise, and compassionate manner to diverse audiences, including patients, families, and staff. Demonstrated excellent computer skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office software (e.g. Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook) and patient information systems. Demonstrated commitment to the safety of co-workers and patients
Southlake Health is fully committed to a culture of belonging and an inclusive environment that encourages every team member to lead within their role, generate innovative ideas that reinforce our mission and goal to create a healthy workplace where our community can thrive.


Regular and reliable attendance is an expected requirement of this position.


We are committed to a selection process and work environment that is inclusive and barrier-free. Accommodation will be provided in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code. Applicants who may require accommodation during the selection process are encouraged to notify the Human Resources Department when contacted for an interview. The People, Culture and Experience team will work together with the hiring committee to arrange reasonable and appropriate accommodation for the selection process, which will enable you to be assessed fairly and equitably.

Health & Safety Workplace Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of all Southlake Health employees to work safely and promote health and safety in the workplace. Employees must adhere to the duties of workers, as stipulated in Section 28 of the OH&S Act, as well as all Southlake OH&S policies and procedures. Must be able to perform all necessary bona fide duties for the position, as outlined in the position guide. Must review and be capable of performing duties as outlined in the Job Demands Analysis for the position as a condition of offer. Proven ability to attend work regularly as per the Attendance Support Policy.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Southlake Health is fully dedicated to employment equity, diversity, and inclusion in our recruitment practices. We welcome candidates who identify with equity-seeking groups, including women, racialized individuals, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, and those from the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Any information provided will be kept confidential and used appropriately in our recruitment process.

Anti-Oppression/Anti-Racism at Southlake Health

Southlake Health is committed to having a workforce that is reflective of the diversity of York Region and strongly encourages applications from all qualified individuals, and from those who can provide different perspectives and contribute to a further diversification of ideas.

Accommodation & Diversity in the Workplace

At Southlake Health, we are committed to promoting employment equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace. Fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment practices is a key aspect of our search process. The current posting is seeking candidates who identify with the following equity-seeking groups: women, racialized persons/persons of colour, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, and members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. If you are of the aforementioned identities and feel comfortable making it known, you may choose to self-identify as a member of a designated group. Any information directly related to you is kept confidential and used safely to inform our recruitment process towards being an equal opportunity employer.


Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Thank you for your submission. We appreciate your interest in joining Southlake Health!