Discharge Plan Manager, Casual

Purpose

The Discharge Plan Manager functions as the coordinator and is accountable for all post-discharge needs and acts as financial steward for the hospital by assessing for relevant factors, engaging with the care team, and placing a focus on an optimal discharge plan with timely utilization of hospital resources.

Responsibilities

• Identify clinical, psychosocial, historical, financial, cultural, and spiritual needs that guide the planning process with the patient to attain optimal outcomes.
• Evaluate patient/family/caregiver level of health literacy and understanding, incorporating findings into the plan of care.
• Balances resources with patient preferences and goals of care.
• Evaluate the potential impact of social determinants of health that may elevate the risk of a poor transition.
• Complete detailed assessment on every patient in order to establish understanding of medical and social factors, determine patient's capacity for self-care, identify support systems, outline barriers to discharge, and determine likeliness of requiring post-hospital services and the availability of such services.
• Continually reassess discharge plan for factors that may affect continuing care needs or the appropriateness of the discharge plan.
• Facilitate teams to develop and execute safe and efficient discharges.
• Maintain knowledge about area resources and their capabilities and capacities as well as various types of service providers available.
• Ensure appropriate arrangements for post-hospital care will be made before discharge and work to avoid unnecessary delays in discharge.
• Integrate patients' goals, the health care team's assessment, risks and available resources in order to develop and coordinate a successful transition plan.
• Engage in clear communication with the patient/member/caregivers as well as the interdisciplinary care team in order to develop discharge plans.
• Serve as a liaison between the patient and the care team.
• Actively collaborate with the attending practitioner, caregivers, and other members of the multidisciplinary team to coordinate an individualized plan of care.
• Incorporate discipline-specific recommendations, test results, outstanding orders into discharge plan and monitor/revise and respond to the progression of discharge milestone.
• Serve as a contact between hospitals and post-hospital care facilities as well as the physicians who provide care in either or both of these settings.
• Recognize and demonstrate shared accountability in development of a discharge plan with the patient/member/caregiver as well as with team members to ensure optimal outcomes.
• Adhere to ethical standards and codes of conduct of applicable professional organization and UPMC.
• Advocate on behalf of patient/family/caregivers for services access and for the protection of the patient's health, well-being, safety, and rights.
• Manage cost of care with the benefits of patient safety, clinical quality, risk and patient satisfaction to provide recommendations and decisions that ensure optimal outcomes.
• Embrace and incorporate innovation and technology to improve collaboration and patient outcomes.

Qualifications

• At least one year of experience in discharge planning/care coordination is required. This may include but is not limited to: coordination of a patient's clinical care needs in various settings such as inpatient, outpatient, post-discharge facilities, home or assisted/skilled living facilities, rehab, hospice; conducting insurance authorizations (medication, transportation, alternate level of care), obtaining information and connecting patients to appropriate outpatient regional resources, etc.
• RN Qualifications: Diploma or associate's degree required; CCM or ACM or other nursing or social work certification is preferred.
• SNP Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in social work or another health or human services field that promotes the physical, psychosocial, and/or vocational well-being of those being served is required; a Master's degree preferred.