Hospital Triage Liaison - Tufts University

The Henry and Lois Foster Hospital for Small Animals provides 24-hour care for pets 365 days of the year. Since 1979, we have offered high quality medical care, consultation, referral and emergency veterinary services for the care of dogs, cats and exotic pets.  The hospital also serves as the primary clinical training environment for the veterinary students, interns and residents.

The Foster Hospital for Small Animals is seeking an experienced candidate with a background as a Veterinary Technician or Veterinary Assistant to join our Client Services team in the  Emergency Department as Triage Liaison. This position supports the FHSA mission of delivering excellence in patient care, clinician support and client service by providing initial and follow-up communication to ECC clients and RDVMs. The onsite Triage Liaison works as a technician in the ECC client lobby and provides a basic triage for ECC cases, manages all ECC cases by communicating triage status to the ECC team, check-in and discharge patients, collect fees, review discharge orders and medication, provide patient updates, schedule follow-up visits, act as a liaison between ECC and Specialty Services and educate clients on Hospital policy and fee structure.

The Hospital Triage Liaison will be responsible for:

Manage Emergency Cases

• Provide a basic triage for patients presenting to the Emergency and Critical Care Service (ECC)
• Communicate patient arrival and status to the ECC
• Establish electronic medical record for incoming cases, including upload of RDVM records, CPR Code
• Discharge patients; fee collection, schedule follow-up visit, review home instructions/medication
• Provide patient updates to clients
• Coordinate ZCAM and Specialty Service cases between the ECC and Specialty Service teams.
• Divert cases as directed
• Manage wildlife and found-by cases
• Educate clients on ER hospital policies and protocols including wait time and financial policy
• Offer alternative resources when appropriate, Poison Control Hot Line, alternate ER practices, alternate Oncology and General Practices, financial assistance opportunities.
• Promote and enhance good communication and strong relationships with Faculty, Technicians and Staff
• Provide care, empathy and support to clients and patients
• Assist with all front desk transactions (non ECC) as needed

Administrative:

• Final Gift/ Aftercare Support; ensure bodies are tagged correctly, assist with body pick-up, assist AC Coordinator with bodies on hold, QA Final Gift submissions as needed.
• Identify areas for improvement; recommend solutions and assist in developing new protocols
• Onboard, train and mentor new staff and student members
• Develop, update and distribute SOPs, and reference material
• Upload records, QA medical record, ensure clients receive discharge orders 5%
  Miscellaneous:
• Attend CE, meetings and trainings as required
• Assist with triage calls and specialty service appointments
• Other duties as assigned by Supervisor

This is a 35 hour position, Wed - Sat 1:00 PM - 10:00 PM
This position includes rotational Holiday and weekend Coverage.
Some alternate hours may be required for shift coverage, meeting attendance, or training sessions.
This position is considered essential and is required to work during hospital closings.

Basic Qualifications:

• High school graduate or equivalent
• 2 to 3 years’ experience working in a veterinary practice with client interaction.
• Experience with case triage and Small Animal medicine.
• Veterinary Assistant Certification or equivalent
• Exceptional communication skills (phone and in-person)
• Ability to prioritize, multitask, and manage high call volumes.
• Ability to effectively work as a positive member of a diverse team of clinical and administrative professionals
• Basic computer skills including familiarity with Microsoft Office and the ability to learn electronic medical record systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Associates or bachelor’s degree in relevant field of study.
• CVT accreditation
• 3 -5 years’ experience in emergency medicine.
• Experience in ER triage
• Proven experience of providing excellence in service