Care Manager II: Travel

Job Title: Care Manager II: Travel
Job Location: Alamogordo, NM 88310
Job Duration: 3+ Months (Possibility of extension)
 
Shift: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, 5 days/week (8 hours/day)

Job Summary:

• The Care Manager (CM) II works in collaboration with the patient/family, physicians and multidisciplinary team members to ensure patient progression through the continuum of care and to develop a plan of care for each assigned patient from admission through discharge.
• The CM is responsible for identifying, initiating and managing optimal patient flow/throughput to enhance continuity of care, smooth and safe transitions, patient satisfaction, patient safety, and length of stay management.
• Support and expertise are provided through comprehensive assessment, planning, implementation, and overall evaluation of individual patient needs.
• Care Coordination and Discharge Planning are both responsibilities of this role.
• The CM assesses and responds to patient/family needs by coordinating efforts of other team members and identifies and resolves barriers that hinder effective patient care.
• The CM adheres to departmental and organizational goals, objectives, standards of performance, policies and procedures, and continually assures regulatory compliance.

• Meets expectations of the applicable client Competencies: Leader of Self, Leader of Others, or Leader of Leaders.
• Coordinates the integration of case management functions into the patient care and discharge planning processes in collaboration with other hospital departments, external service organizations, agencies, and healthcare facilities.
• Coordinates/facilitates patient care progression throughout the continuum of care in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
• Serves as resource, provides support, and advocates on behalf of the patient related to treatment decisions and end of life issues.
• Closely monitor patient length of stay in regard to the geometric mean length of stay and communicate/collaborate with appropriate interdisciplinary team members to remove barriers and expedite discharge.
• Implements and monitors the patients plan of care to ensure effectiveness and appropriateness of services.
• Identifies and escalates local and system barriers that are impeding diagnostic or treatment progress and issues related to quality and risk as appropriate in a timely manner.
• Proactively identifies and resolves delays and obstacles to discharge.
• Uses advanced conflict resolution skills as necessary to ensure timely resolution of issues.
• Collaborates with medical staff, nursing staff, and ancillary staff to eliminate barriers to efficient delivery of care in the appropriate setting.
• Interviews patients/families to obtain information about social, emotional, and financial factors which impact health status to develop comprehensive discharge planning assessment and care plan.
• Assesses needs for discharge planning and continuing care/resource support following discharge; independently makes recommendations to patients and families regarding post-acute level of care needs and options including:.
• Acute Rehabilitation Placement.
• Nursing Home or Skilled Nursing placement.
• Psychiatric or Substance Abuse placement.
• New Dialysis.
• Child/Adult/Domestic Abuse.
• Home Health/Hospice Referrals.
• Legal issues (adoptions, guardianship).
• Assistance with Advance Directives.
• Community Resource needs.
• Financial Issues/Funding options.
• DME Referrals and Coordination.
• Social Determinants of Health.
• Initiates discharge planning at the time of admission and makes post-hospital service referrals based upon information gathered during assessment and interactions with physicians, multidisciplinary care team, and payors as indicated.
• Acts as patient advocate by negotiating for, and coordinating, resources with payors, agencies, and vendors.
• Ensures that all elements critical to the plan of care have been communicated to the patient/family and members of the healthcare team and are documented as necessary to assure continuity of care.
• Provide appropriate interventions which demonstrate knowledge of and sensitivity toward cultural diversity and the religious, developmental, health literacy, and educational backgrounds of the patient population.
• Assesses the patients formal and informal support system as well as available benefits and/or community resources.
• Meets directly with patient/family to assess needs and develop and individualized care plan in collaboration with the physician.
• Ensures and maintains plan consensus from patient/family, physician and payor.
• Provides education, information, direction, and support related to patients goals of care.
• Acts as patient advocate to develop treatment plan and coordinate patient care and to transition patient to the appropriate next level of care.
• Demonstrates and promotes respect for the dignity and rights of every patient while adhering to the safety standards and practices of the organization and the nursing profession.
• Collaborates with the physician and other health care professionals to promote appropriate use of medical center resources.
• Provides information and support to patients and families, helping them access needed resources within the medical center and community.
• Actively participates in clinical performance improvement activities involving length of stay, resource utilization, avoidable days, cost per case, and readmissions.
• Measures effectiveness of interventions through direct communication with post-acute care providers, patients, and caregivers.
• Promotes individual professional growth and development by meeting requirements for mandatory/continuing education and skills competency.
• Actively participates in Multidisciplinary/Patient Care Progression Rounds.
• Escalates cases as appropriate and per policy to Physician Advisors and/or CM Director.
• Documents in the medical record per regulatory and department guidelines.
• May be asked to assist with special projects.
• May serve a preceptor or orienter to new associates.
• Assumes responsibility for professional growth and development.
• Must have excellent verbal and written communication and ability to interact with diverse populations.
• Must have critical and analytical thinking skills.
• Must have demonstrated clinical competency.
• Must have the ability to Multitask and to function in a stressful and fast paced environment.
• Must have working knowledge of discharge planning, utilization management, case management, performance improvement, and managed care reimbursement.
• Must have understanding of pre-acute and post-acute levels of care and community resources.
• Must have ability to work independently and exercise sound judgment in interactions with physicians, payors, patients and their families.
• Must be understanding of internal and external resources and knowledge of available community resources.
• Must have the ability to move around the hospital to all areas for the majority of the workday while in office the rest of the day; general office and hospital environment.

• Graduate of an accredited school of nursing (BSN preferred) or Masters Degree in Social Work (MSW) required or demonstrated success in Care Manager I Position for at least 5 years on top of the required experience in lieu of education required.

• Two or more years clinical experience with one year in the acute care setting preferred.

• RN or LMSW in the state of NM is required.
• LBSW accepted for associates with 5+ years of demonstrated success and experience in Care Manager I role.
• Certification in Case Management preferred.
• BLS preferred.