Lakeland Regional Health (LRH), with one of the largest hospitals in the state of Florida, Lakeland Regiona lMedical Center, is seeking an Associate Vice President (AVP) of Patient Experience. This 910-bed tertiary hospital encompasses over 70 acres and as the only acute care facility located in the primary service area, maintains a dominant market share position. LRH has experienced an 8.8% compounded annual growth rate in net patient service revenue for fiscal years 2020 through 2024 and has been consistently profitable over the last five fiscal years. The health system continues to strategically grow to meet the health care needs of its growing community through physician growth, affiliations, and the expansion of services.
Lakeland Regional Health is an award-winning workplace and was recognized as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces in Healthcare by Newsweek in 2025 and as one of America community including being named High-Performing in Heart Failure, Colon Cancer Surgery, Heart Attack, Knee Replacement, and Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma by U.S. News & World Report and Most Wired by CHIME for the 10th time since 2013. More information about the system and it’s awards and recognitions is available at: https://www.mylrh.org/about-us
Reporting to the Senior Vice President of Administration and Corporate Priorities, the Associate Vice President of Patient Experience is responsible for leading and overseeing the development and implementation of a comprehensive Patient Experience program at LRH. The AVP will collaborate with staff, nursing, physicians, and leadership to develop, implement, and evaluate strategies aimed atimproving the patient experience at LRH. Acting as a change agent, the AVP will drive measurable improvements across the organization and foster a culture of excellence in patient care.
Key Selection Criteria for this position includes the following:
- Knowledge of how healthcare is delivered and how patient experience is measured by regulatory agencies, including the drivers of customer loyalty.
- A minimum of five (5) years of experience working in a patient experience management role in a complex hospital setting or health system in a competitive market and 10+ years of experience in a leadership level role driving change at an organizational, service, and department level
- Knowledge of effective strategies for improving patient experience, including process improvement.
- Thorough understanding of patient satisfaction survey tool metrics, trends, HCAHPS, MIPS surveys etc., the field of consumer research, complaint management, workforce engagement, service recovery, and patient best practice standards.
- Track record building a culture of service improvement to drive exceptional results.
- Master’s degree in nursing, healthcare administration or a related field.
- CPXP or equivalent national certification .
Located 30 miles east of Tampa and 55 miles southwest of Orlando, Lakeland’s central location affords residents and visitors access to many local attractions as well as attractions in both Tampa and Orlando. Today Lakeland continues to grow, develop and become one of the most sought-after places to live in Florida. Retaining the charm of a small town, Lakeland is comprised of great people from all walks of life and all age groups This represents a wonderful opportunity to join a strong and highly regarded health system. To express interest in this role and to submit a resume, please apply here. All expressions of interest are confidential. Lakeland Regional Health is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity, equity and inclusion. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.