Advanced Practice Nurse/Trauma Coordinator - Assessment Division

Services

TITLE: Patient Discharge Advocate

REPORTS TO: Patient Discharge Advocate Supervisor

SUMMARY: Working under the direction of the case manager, the Discharge Advocate manages the discharge/transition process by working closely with the patient and/or family, and coordinating activity with the multidisciplinary team, including physicians, nursing, and community resources to ensure patient

EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE:

MINIMUM REQUIRED:

1. High School graduate or equivalent.

2. Training in business skills, telephone skills, excellent customer and communication skills, knowledge of correct use of English grammar, punctuation and spelling as well as formatting.

3. Working knowledge of medical terminology.

4. Two years of experience in customer service, human services, or community service.

5. Must be extremely efficient, organized, and able to handle stressful situations while remaining calm and professional.

6. Ability to work under conditions of frequent interruptions, deadlines and simultaneous requests from multiple sources.

7. Basic proficiency computer operations, Microsoft Word, Excel, and the Internet.

8. Ability to demonstrate problem solving skills.

PREFERRED:

1. BA/BS degree.

2. Two years of experience in health care.

3. Knowledge of alternate levels of care including criteria required for payment and applications processes.

4. Experience in coordinating benefits and reviewing alternatives with patients and families.

5. Familiarity with regulations, applicable laws, insurance benefits, especially Medicare and Medi-Cal.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Demonstrates initiative in managing the discharge/transition process.

2. Maintains ongoing, active communication with clinical case management to coordinate transition planning.

3. Must be able to collaborate with ancillary staff, medical staff, and representatives from community resources in an effective professional manner.

4. Composes and types confidential correspondences, reports, related material from dictation, written, and/or verbal medium.

5. Completes the discharge plan checklist.

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6. Coordinates multidisciplinary team members to provide patient/family education needs.

7. Demonstrates knowledge of and ability to explain benefits of various types of patient funding, including Medi-Cal and Medicare, to ensure adequate planning for post acute care needs.

8. Coordination of patient/family conferences.

9. Acts as the discharge planning contact for the patient and family during hospitalization.

10. Participates in physician directed multidisciplinary rounds as needed.

11. Assesses patient need for case management and social work involvement.

12. Interacts with hospital staff, consultants and outside agencies to facilitate patient discharges and transfers to external facilities.

13. Copies forms, organizes information and reports as related to the role and departmental needs.

14. Develop new forms, update policies and procedures as needed.

15. Collaborates to ensure timely information updates. Performs verification processes for system changes/enhancement.

16. Enhances professional growth and development through participation in educational programs, current literature, in-service meetings and workshops.

17. Participates in quality control, performance improvement process and program as required.

18. Provides staffing coverage for the Utilization Review Coordinator position as needed.

ETHICAL BEHAVIOR:

1. Conducts hospital and department business in an ethical and lawful manner, and willing to report any knowledge of real or potential fraud or abuse according to the Lodi Health Compliance Code of Conduct.

2. Will not use or disclose individually identifiable health information of patients over and above that which is minimally required to perform your assigned positions responsibilities.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

1. Works in clean well lighted ventilated building. May require frequent trips to other departments within the hospital and the West Campus. Exposure to weather when traveling between buildings. Potential exposure to infectious diseases and hazardous substances.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

1. Must exhibit normal trunk and extremity mobility and strength to safely hold objects in the activities of holding, carrying, pushing, and pulling. Must be able to safely lift a minimum of 25 pounds, safely without assistance, applying proper body mechanics.

2. Must have visual acuity sufficient to read a computer screen, printed typewritten and hand-written documents.

OTHER:

Duties and responsibilities may be added, deleted or changed at any time at the discretion of the Director, or designee, formally or informally, either verbally or in writing.

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