Sr Transplant Recovery Specialist at Houston Methodist Hospital
Houston, TX
About the Job
At Houston Methodist, the Senior Transplant Recovery Specialist position facilitates and coordinates organ procurement services required for transplantation and manages the peri-operative phase of recipient transplantation. In addition to performing the duties and responsibilities of a Transplant Recovery Specialist, this position serves as a mentor and resources for team members. Primary responsibilities for this position include leading the organ recovery process according to transplant center protocol, ensuring supplies equipment and transportation arrangements for organ recovery. In collaboration with physician, implements appropriate organ and tissue-specific preservation procedures, the Senior Transplant Recovery Specialist position coordinates and communicates with all members of the Organ Procurement Organization (OPO), Houston Methodist (HM) recovery and transplant teams, and recipient candidate and family to ensure proper coordination of the organ recovery and transplant events.
- Collaborates to foster healthy relationships in the work environment such as mitigation of conflict. Role models communication in an active, positive, and effective manner to all team members and outside organization partners while facilitating the critical events of recovery and transplantation. Promotes positive behaviors, and peer-to-peer accountability.
- Anticipates and proactively offers assistance to team members. Advocates for a balanced workload.
- Identifies staff development opportunities for professional growth of colleagues, provides coaching to meet identified goals. Acts as a model and coaches staff in effective verbal, non-verbal and written communication, which includes active listening and teaching. Provides oversight for new employees. Functions as a preceptor and mentor.
SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Leads in organ recovery process according to transplant center protocol, ensuring supplies equipment and transportation arrangements for organ recovery. In collaboration with physician, implements appropriate organ and tissue-specific preservation procedures. Manages the organ packaging and labeling process per protocol.
- Assesses capacity of transplant program by coordinating physician schedules, operating rooms and Organ Procurement Organization (OPO). Coordinates timing of the transplant event with procurement team and OPO. Plays a major role in identifying potential problems, communicating to physicians and identifying potential resolutions.
- Leads in the organ transplant process by proactively reviewing and requesting additional information necessary for decision-making regarding organ acceptance/rejection. Communicates with the physicians/surgeons to relay donor and/or recipient information accurately and timely to facilitate the transplant event.
- Facilitates admission/transfer of recipient for transplantation and oversees pre-operative process. Enters appropriate acceptance and denial codes via Donor Net in timely manner and alerts appropriate parties for any variances in allocation documentation immediately.
QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Identifies gaps in clinical information and parameters and relays information to OPO/clinical coordinator, utilizing sound judgment.
- Ensures organs and tissues will be recovered, packaged, and transplanted to maximize utilization in accordance allocation sequencing to meet OPTN/UNOS regulations. Alerts appropriate parties for any variance.
- Maintains Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulatory compliance and required documentation throughout the recovery and transplant event including by not limited to logistics, procurement and transplant verification forms, Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) requests, HM required consents, organ donor disclosure, and recovery transplant reporting records and timely removal from the waitlist. Contributes to meeting department and organ program targets for quality, compliance and safety, on department dashboard.
- Participates in recipient waitlist management review forums as indicated and monitor appropriate communications affecting recipient's candidacy. Provide timely notifications at specified timepoints throughout recovery and transplant process and ensure thorough hand-offs to team members if required. Drives initiatives to meet department and organ program targets for quality, compliance and safety, on department dashboard.
FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Maintains and submits accurate data for hospital-based statistics and regulatory agencies such as United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)/UNET, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and Medicaid to ensure proper department financial management, compliance with all governmental reporting requirements, and proper quality outcomes monitoring, meeting program financial measures for department.. These data requirements include, but are not limited to: units of service, recovery logistics tracking, recovery supply management, and UNOS TIEDI forms.
- Manages appropriate supply inventory to ensure supply costs are maximized. Submits variances timely to management for proper billing management.
GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Offers innovative solutions through participation in performance improvement projects, driving quality initiatives and process improvement. Supports change initiatives and adapts to unexpected changes. Acts as change agent. Provides staff and community education in the areas of transplant and organ donation. Participates in department donor awareness events, educational opportunities, and community activities.
- Identifies and shares transplant-specific continuous learning and growth. Applies evidence-based practice to daily work, such as reviewing the professional literature and attending professional meetings and sharing with colleagues. Identifies own learning needs and actively seeks educational opportunities, both formal and informal, to meet those needs. Completes and updates the individual development plan (IDP) on an on-going basis. Belongs to at least one professional organization as applicable.
This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; the employee will also perform other reasonably related business/job duties as assigned. Houston Methodist reserves the right to revise job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.
- Associate's degree or higher or a graduate from an applicable Health Care Technical program
WORK EXPERIENCE
- Three years specific experience in organ recovery/transplant services
- CTP - Certified Transplant Preservationist (ABTC) AND
- BLS - Basic Life Support (AHA)
- Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations.
- Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security.
- Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles.
- Skilled at managing complex caseload and ability to prioritize/triage multiple responsibilities with high level of critical thinking.
- Extremely well-organized and detail oriented, self-directed.
- Demonstrates continuous learning and growth
- Exhibits ability to timely remove transplant recipient from waitlist per OPTN/UNOS regulations
- Competent knowledge of, and compliance with, CMS Conditions of Participation and OPTN/UNOS policies and listing requirements
SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
WORK ATTIRE
- Uniform No
- Scrubs Yes
- Business professional No
- Other (department approved) No
ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. DIsaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.
- On Call* Yes
TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**
- May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes
- May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area Yes
Company Profile:
Houston Methodist Hospital is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 1 hospital in Texas and one of America’s “Best Hospitals.” As a full-service, acute-care hospital located in the Texas Medical Center and the flagship hospital of Houston Methodist, it has evolved into one of the nation’s largest nonprofit teaching hospitals and a leader in innovative medical research with a comprehensive residency program. Two of Houston Methodist’s primary academic affiliates are among the nation’s leading health care organizations: Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Houston Methodist also has affiliations with Texas A&M University and the University of Houston. With 948 operating beds, 85 operating rooms and more than 8,400 employees, Houston Methodist Hospital offers unparalleled care for thousands of patients from around the world.
Houston Methodist is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Equal employment opportunity is a sound and just concept to which Houston Methodist is firmly bound. Houston Methodist will not engage in discrimination against or harassment of any person employed or seeking employment with Houston Methodist on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, status as a protected veteran or other characteristics protected by law. VEVRAA Federal Contractor – priority referral Protected Veterans requested.