Director of Rehabilitation PT or OT - Norwalk - Norwalk Skilled Nursing & Wellness Centre

GENERAL PURPOSE: The Director of Rehabilitation is responsible for internal departmental communication and operations, facilitating and coordinating patient care, and quality assurance.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Develops and maintains systems which build and enhance the facility’s approach to interdisciplinary care – This includes but is not limited to:

• Ensuring compliance with facility policies, procedures, clinical standards, and protocols
• Ensuring compliance to documentation guidelines and regulatory requirements, including completion of monthly documentation audits
• Implementing new patient programs in accordance with facility policies
• Ensuring in-services are conducted as required
• Communicating regularly with the Administrator and Regional Rehab Consultant, determining the need for consultant visits and assistance
• Ensuring timely evaluation and treatment of patients in the most efficient and effective manner possible
• Ensuring participation with the IDT to meet OBRA requirements
• Ensuring quality of data entry and clinical documentation
• Managing use of computerized systems to optimize data quality and maximize therapist efficiency
• Managing Medicare Medical Review and Denials Management process in conjunction with the Administrator and facility team

Monitors financial performance of rehab department and effectively seeks methods to improve this performance while ensuring that facility standards are consistently observed – This includes but is not limited to:

Achieving and maintaining revenue, productivity and gross profit margin goals

Assisting the Administrator in development of the annual budget

Ensuring appropriate and effective utilization of staff

Managing key operations and financial levers to achieve budget projections, including development and implementation of action plans as necessary

Completing end-of-month billing timely and accurately

Ensuring that the billing process meets facility’s needs

Contributes effectively to the census development/marketing efforts of the facility – This includes, but is not limited to:

• Effectively managing key relationships with hospital therapists, physicians, key hospital staff, managed care providers, rehab suppliers, and other key referral sources

Contributes to the professional development of self and Rehabilitation staff – This includes but is not limited to:

Maintaining current professional status and licensure

Adhering to professional standards of conduct and clinical code of ethics / practice

Completing and communicating the results of employee performance reviews

Providing new employee orientation and ongoing staff development programs

Developing and implementing in-service orientation schedules

Maintaining a current body of knowledge in areas of clinical expertise through seminars, professional journals, and peers

Meeting continuing education requirements of regulatory agencies

Aids in building and maintaining a positive facility culture as a professional member of the staff – This includes but is not limited to:

• Consistently demonstrating positive core values while interacting with co-workers, patients and families, with all other persons involved with the resident’s care
• Consistently demonstrating professional standards
• Contributing to a positive work team by sharing information, using problem-solving methods and accepting new ideas, constructive criticism, or advice from others
• Maintaining close communications within the facility with the Director of Nursing, nurse managers, and Admissions Coordinator to facilitate fulfillment of client expectations and to assist in development of the rehab program
• Establishing and maintaining an effective rapport with the Administrator and Medical Director
• Demonstrating superior customer service through courtesy, consistent follow-up and positive communication

Ensures compliance with facility and regulatory safety practices – This includes but is not limited to:

Identifying and correcting safety hazards or notifying the facility so that safety hazards will be immediately remedied

Maintaining work areas in a safe and orderly fashion

Maintaining equipment in safe working order by arranging for annual calibration and updating maintenance logs and cleaning records

Ensuring that staff is educated in and using proper body mechanics during treatments of patients and during support activities

Ensuring that all therapy staff use universal safety precautions and wear appropriate safety equipment, when appropriate

Reporting any and all work related injuries to the Administrator and following guidelines for treatment of a work related injury

Provides patient care as appropriate and necessary, following the position description for the applicable clinical discipline in which licensure or certification is held

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated leadership and management skills.
• Skills applicable to clinical discipline.
• Ability to communicate effectively and positively with all facility staff.

2. Education and Experience:

• Graduation from an accredited program for Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology or COTA preferred
• Must possess and maintain a current license in the state of practice as required
• Other education and experience may be considered upon Senior Management approval

3. Physical Requirements:

For Direct Patient Care:

If providing patient care, and appropriate based on therapy licensure, must be able to lift and transfer patients to and from all surfaces a minimum of 10 times per day

If providing patient care, and appropriate based on therapy licensure, must be able to lift approximately 50-70 pounds a minimum of 10 times per day

Must be able to perform CPR, if required

For Support Activities:

Must be physically able to travel at least 5% of the time

Must be able to communicate effectively over the phone