Patient Flow Coordinator

Description

Become part of an inclusive organization with over 40,000 teammates, whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of the unique communities we serve.

Summary:

Assist in facilitating the admission, transfer, and bed planning process for patients within the UNC Health Wayne organization. Collaborates with providers, Emergency Department, OR/PACU, inpatient units, nursing leaders, and clinical administrators to ensure appropriate patient flow and bed planning. Ensures compliance with federal, state, and third-party utilization management regulatory requirements. Provides direct coordination of internal patient flow to include transfer through comprehensive assessment, planning, implementation, and overall evaluation of individual patient needs. Facilitates with physicians and staff of the UNC Health Wayne for transfers, consults, and round-trip procedural tests. Coordinates interhospital transportation to support patient care needs.

Responsibilities:

1. Requests and/or provides information regarding the transport of patients to and from procedural/diagnostic areas within UNC Health Wayne.

2. Multidisciplinary collaboration with physicians, nursing, social work, and multiple disciplines, departments, payers, and agencies to eliminate barriers to efficient delivery of care in the appropriate setting.

3. Implements all standards of work in their daily work and ensure adherence to these workflows.

4. Collaborates with Physician for complex issues.

5. Collaborates with Clinical Administrators for transfer and consult request to ensure efficient use of resources.

6. Facilitate bed placement requests and ensures level of care needs of the patient are properly documented and collaborates with Clinical Administration/Case Management team on appropriate transfer location.

7. Receives and transmits clinical and demographic information via telephone and electronic medium (secure texting/email) to ensure efficient processing of patients for requested services.

8. Maintains electronic documentation related to operations. Ensures all documentation is complete with emphasis on 100% accuracy, clarity, and completeness within appropriate timeframe. Ensures that EMTALAs are completed as indicated.

9. Provides the receiving unit with the appropriate patient information for transportation to and other relevant clinical information. Escalates patient transport concerns as needed for prompt resolution.

10. Provides monitored communication link for consultation, referral and transport of patients utilizing state of the art communications equipment.

11. Ensures all communication and support equipment (e.g. telephone system) are functioning. Performs minor maintenance on equipment and maintains work area in an orderly fashion. Clean and disinfects communications equipment as needed.

12. Transfers and receives phone calls from hospital customers, departmental staff, hospital staff, and physicians. Uses effective interpersonal skills to identify and resolve conflicts, decrease communication barriers, and facilitate group effectiveness.

13. Participates in program-based governance committees. Contributes to attainment of committee objectives based on both previous and newly acquired knowledge.

14. Participates in quality assurance by checking daily charts, timeliness, and any other issues, which might arise during a transport or consult. Communicates opportunities for improvement to appropriate program representative.

15. Collaborates with Hospital Police and Clinical Administrator to ensure appropriate level of service for interfacility transport.

16. Completes follow-up, as needed with transportation vendors to ensure timely transport of patients accepted for transfer/procedure.

17. Facilitates follow-up for patients awaiting transfer in conjunction with the Physician and Clinical Administrator. Communicates changes in patient condition, and escalates patient concerns noted in the follow-up to the appropriate party.

18. Accommodates fluctuating variables in practice setting such as patient volume, patient acuity, experience of personnel, utilization of supplies, and resources.

19. The individual occupying this position must demonstrate appropriate, diplomatic, and sensitive communication and interaction skills, all while working in a fast-paced, acute healthcare environment with multiple distractions and ever-changing priorities.

20. Utilizes electronic bed board to forecast bed availability and bed demand by maintaining constant awareness of those beds into which inpatients can be admitted or transferred as soon as the demand occurs.

21. Maintains real time knowledge of census and available beds in the electronic bedboard and monitors on a regular basis to ensure the effective management of patient flow.

22. Provide support by floating, adding, and messaging staff in Shift Wizard as needed to maintain optimal staffing levels.

23. Track the discharge status of patients, collaborating with physicians and unit staff to ensure timely and efficient discharge.

24. Collect and analyze the predicted census and staffing plan to maintain adequate coverage.

25. Ensure the necessary information is gathered to facilitate the release of deceased patients to funeral homes.

26. Provide support to the Clinical Administrator as needed to assist in various administrative tasks and operational functions.

Other information:

Education

* Graduate of an accredited school of nursing.

* Bachelor's (BSN) degree strongly encouraged.

Licensure/Certification

* Current Registered Nurse license in North Carolina required.

* Current certification in BLS.

Experience

* Two years as a registered nurse required experience in an acute care setting.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

* Demonstrates ability to operate equipment including telephones, fax machines, and computers.

* Ability to function in a rapidly changing work environment.

* Demonstrates ability to operate within a database environment for entry and retrieval of demographic information, performance data and statistics.

* Demonstrates ability to maintain awareness of departmental policies and procedures and follow the objectives, quality assurance, safety, environmental, and infection control standards of the department.

* Excellent analytical and team building skills, as well as the ability to prioritize and work independently is required.

* Must possess the ability to work collaboratively with other disciplines.

* Reports adverse events and near misses to appropriate leadership.

* Demonstrates ability to work effectively in a stressful environment.

* Ability to handle confidential issues with integrity and discretion.

* Professional phone manner with the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing as well as demonstrated listening skills is required.

* Demonstrates ability to demonstrate effective customer service behaviors to all hospital staff and patients is required.

* Highly effective verbal and written communication skills are required to work with nursing staff, physicians, and other hospital personnel.

* Demonstrates ability to maintain patient confidentiality and dignity throughout all interactions.

* Accommodates fluctuating variables in practice setting such as patient volume, patient acuity, experience of personnel, utilization of supplies, and resources.

* Remains knowledgeable on current federal, state and local laws, accreditation standards or regulatory agency requirements that apply to the assigned area of responsibility and ensures compliance with all such laws, regulations and standards.

* Demonstrates effective communication methods (written, verbal, non-verbal, telephonic, electronic) when dealing with patients, families, colleagues.

Valid NC Driver's License: Yes

Legal Employer: Wayne Health

Entity: Wayne UNC Health Care

Organization Unit: Patient Service Admin.

Work Type: Full Time

Standard Hours Per Week: 40.00

Work Assignment Type: Onsite

Work Schedule: Day Job

Location of Job: WAYNE MED

Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: Yes