Carrie Chen has worked at Oak Valley Health as a patient relations specialist for almost a year, starting in November 2022. However, she is not new to the health care field, having worked in a frontline capacity for five years in previous roles.
“I worked at another organization in a frontline setting as a transition navigator prior to coming to Oak Valley Health,” says Carrie. “I am able to apply so much of my experience to my current role, such as being able to have difficult conversations with patients and their families, and being able to balance patient and organizational needs.”
As a patient relations specialist, Carrie’s main responsibility is to review and action patient feedback, including compliments, complaints, service alerts, or suggestions. Not surprisingly, receiving compliments from patients and families, and being able to share them with staff throughout the organization is the highlight of her role.
“Leaving my former role was a really hard and scary decision for me. I was afraid I would have regrets leaving my frontline role, as I have always had a passion with patient-facing work,” says Carrie. “However, after being at Oak Valley Health for the past 10 months, I am so confident in the decision I made, and I’m excited to keep making a difference in patients’ lives as our program evolves.”
Carrie is looking forward to continue to grow her career, and is enrolling in a course this winter through York University. Carrie is utilizing Oak Valley Health’s education funding program for her course. This program provides yearly education funding for all permanent employees.
Outside of work, Carrie loves to travel, spend quality time with family and friends, spend time with her goldendoodle, Charlie, and stay active by going to regular workout classes.
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This article appeared in the September 2023 issue of The Link. To receive Oak Valley Health’s community newsletter, subscribe now.