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Job Summary:
The Unit Clinical Care Coordinator (Unit C3) is responsible for the management of unit-level patient flow efficiency through appropriate patient placement, status determination, DRG and target length of stay (TLOS) assignment, timely patient progression, and staffing to achieve system efficiency. This position serves as a spoke of the Hub providing unit progression leadership and serving as the primary liaison between emergency and surgical services, clinical and ancillary teams, and service departments to ensure patient care needs are met and treatment plans are executed timely. The Unit C3 leads and collaborates with members of the healthcare team to improve patient throughput, resulting in effective patient-focused outcomes and LOS performance of the organization.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities:
- Coordinates patient care activities in collaboration with the Hub and Clinical Care Coordinators (C3s) to ensure appropriate patient placement, level of care, patient progression, and patient flow at the unit level
- Designates unit bed reservation priorities through assessment of patient care needs and nurse staffing ratios; communicates bed reservation priorities to the Hub C3.
- Identifies and removes unit barriers that may impede department or system-wide patient flow
- Assesses patients’ clinical presentation against Milliman Care Guidelines (MCG) to identify admission status, working DRG and target LOS; validates admission order matches determined status and level of care; collaborates with Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist (CDI Nurse) when further evaluation is warranted.
- Assesses patients in observation and outpatient status to determine if clinical presentation warrants status change; progresses patient as clinically indicated.
- Coordinates with Utilization Review (UR) Nurse to align payor and status requirements with patient’s clinical progression; verifies appropriate regulatory letters are delivered to patient and family when indicated.
- Consults and educates medical and nursing staff regarding status, placement, payor requirements, and utilization of resources.
- Assesses patient’s discharge needs, develops, and arranges for a comprehensive discharge plan that addresses patient needs, barriers, and readmission risk; consults ancillary services (i.e., PT, OT, Social Work) when indicated.
- Collaborates with physicians (which may include participation in patient rounds) to ensure patient progression and discharge needs are identified and a plan is developed to address barriers.
- Leads clinical care team (RN, physician, ancillary staff and social worker) in daily SNAP huddle to identify patient progression and discharge barriers; assigns barriers to appropriate team member for resolution; identifies and escalates unresolved barriers to senior leadership; aligns care team towards discharge goals
- Manages all aspects of patient progression and discharge in Care Advance software (i.e., DRG, TLOS, patient progression plan, barriers, escalated barriers, barrier resolution, discharge planning, alerts) and communicates to ensure timely, ongoing communication of patient status with the Hub.
- Coordinates plan of care in collaboration with appropriate clinicians for appropriate sequencing of care/interventions; ensures appropriate clinical pathways, protocols or standards of care are initiated.
- Communicates plan of care and discharge plan to patient and/or their family in coordination with the patient’s primary care team (RN, physician).
- Oversees and ensures care team’s timely compliance with patient’s preprocedural requirements for service department diagnostics and procedures; ensures communication of service event issues with care team.
- Creates and manages unit staffing and bed assignment for current and next shift; collaborates with Nurse Manager/Assistant Nurse Manager and Staffing Coordinator for any staffing needs.
- Serves as a resource on patient status, progression, and care coordination for the unit Associates.
- Performs other duties as assigned
Qualifications
Required:
- Minimum of three (3) years recent acute care nursing experience
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing is required.
- RNs with an Associate's Degree in Nursing will be required enroll in a BSN program within one year and complete within five years of placement into position.
- This requirement and expectation is applicable to all external and internal placements.
- Able to work independently, managing time, multiple priorities, and resources to achieve goals.
- Able to maintain a calm demeanor and command during time of crisis management.
- Able to assimilate information quickly to produce sound decisions and recognize situations that require immediate intervention.
- Able to articulate information and ideas clearly through both written and verbal communication.
Preferred:
- One (1) year supervisory experience strongly preferred
- Utilization review experience
License and/or Certifications
Required:
- Valid RN License from Virginia or reciprocal compact state required.
- AHA BLS Provider CPR required at hire.
Preferred:
- Certification in nursing, case management or utilization review
As an EOE/AA employer, the organization will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, and veteran or disability status.
