Emergency Dept Communicator - Day Shift, Part-time

About the role

Manages clinical information and the coordination of clinical caregivers for the Emergency Department Trauma Center. Participates in Milwaukee County emergency management through monitoring of WI track.

Responsibilities

• Coordination of clinical information and patient contact with caregivers
  • Serves as a vital link for team member interactions with patients and flow of patient status information.
  • Triages incoming telephone calls per ED phone tree. Recognizes and properly refers "Crisis calls" (911).
  • Coordinates diagnostic services to assure efficient patient flow within CHW, off-site facilities, (e.g., Lab, Radiology and Eye Institute).
  • Recognizes critical situations and relays information to necessary staff members.
  • Obtains and transports medications and delivers to the medication room and notifies the designated nurse or prescriber per the Medication-Administration policy.
• Emergency Management
  • Monitors WI track for ED diversions, community and emergency management alerts. (WI track is a web-based, real time hospital department diversion and mass casualty incident reporting system).
  • Coordinates patient tracking during a disaster. Delegates specific clerical functions to inpatient HUCs responding in a disaster; to include managing the patient board, equipment/personnel requests, incoming calls.
• Data Management
  • Enters patient data and utilizing the Electronic Health Record.
  • Releasing and/or obtaining information to/from outside facilities.
• Communication
  • Acts as a member of the unit team by keeping members apprised of changes that affect unit functioning.
  • Greets, welcomes and guides patients and parents. Determines their needs and provides information regarding EDTC process.
  • Answers and directs telephone calls, relays messages promptly and accurately.
  • Contacts patient care staff, (physicians, social workers, discharge planners etc.) directly or through hospital paging systems as directed by authorized personnel. Places all outgoing calls for the EDTC staff.
• Unit/Team Operations
  • Re-prioritizes workload to adapt to changing conditions.
  • Initiates requests for services from ancillary departments such as delivery of specimens to the Laboratory, requests for equipment from Distribution through the Bed Ready technology, and other similar requests.
  • Completes daily review of patient charges to assure accuracy of charge calculator and supply and equipment charges. Enters corrections as needed into EPIC.
  • Maintains an efficient and orderly environment.
• Facilitate Patient Flow
  • Functions as a liaison with Admitting, Scheduling, Registration in arranging patient placement.
  • Notifies Environmental Services and Facilities of areas in department that require maintenance.
  • Coordinates Patient transport through the Bed Ready technology.
  • Using EPIC creates a record for expected patients; collaborates with Admitting and Registration as necessary during this process.
• Medical Record Maintenance
  • Ensures confidentiality to our customers by creating and maintaining a secure environment in compliance with HIPPA.
  • Manages the patient's skinny record to assure that all documents are labeled with patient identifiers and sent to medical records upon discharge.
• EPIC and IS Down Time
  • Reconciles patient tracking board.
  • Assures that all down time forms are available for clinicians.
  • Transcribes laboratory and imaging studies on downtime forms.
  • Manually enters patient Level of Service and charges into EPIC and creates note "see scanned document" for patients discharged during down time.

Requirements

• High School graduate or Certificate of General Educational Development (GED) or High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) Required
• 1+ years healthcare experience in a health unit coordinator or similar role Required
• Data base maintenance, data entry and data reporting skills.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, and prioritizing skills necessary to work in a fast-paced environment with multiple tasks done simultaneously.
• Critical thinking and crisis intervention skills to direct callers to appropriate level of medical care.
• Interpersonal skills necessary to gather and share information with physicians, patients, visitors, families, and team members in a courteous and confidential manner.
• Ability to maintain positive communication skills during highly stressful situations.
• Knowledge of medical terminology.
• Understands common Emergency Department procedures, tests various test, treatments and medications.
• Knowledge of computer and keyboard, Microsoft Window and basic word processing skills.

Schedule

Two 12 hour shifts per week; 7am-7pm.

Orientation

If hired attendance will be required the first week at a New Hire Welcome day on Monday from 9a-4p. There are 3 days of central care partner orientation from 8a-4:30p on Tuesday, Wed and Thursday that first week. We prefer participation in all the sessions, but at minimum, the Thursday session is mandatory.

Department context

The Emergency Department/Trauma Center provides emergency health care for children and adolescents up until their 18th birthday who present for care. Emergency care is provided for all types of illnesses and injuries, 24 hours a day. The severity of illness and injury varies and is defined by the Triage guidelines as non-urgent, urgent, and emergent. 54% of all inpatient admissions will come from the EDTC, which is 17% of all EDTC patients. With the frequent populations seen, collaborative practice protocols help to expedite care delivered.