Hospice Admission/Liaison Registered Nurse, RN

This position is a member of the hospice staff who determines appropriateness of referrals, coordinates and conducts pre-admission activities, completes admission when determined hospice appropriate, monitors inpatient care at contracted hospitals, performs in-service training and community education activities. This role operates in a variety of settings including the patient’s home, acute care setting, skilled nursing facility, or assisted living.

Responsibilities

• Describes and explains hospice services to potential patients and/or family members, elicits responses regarding attitudes towards hospice care, and evaluates physical, psychosocial, and emotional status to inform and ease the decision-making process.
• Works with hospice intake and eligibility department to verify insurance reimbursement for each referred patient and documents findings in the EMR.
• Reviews and explains insurance coverage and financial obligations to patients and/or families, using knowledge of hospice fees, costs, and reimbursement sources.
• Escalates potential admissions with unclear reimbursement coverage to the referral management director and/or referral manager to determine eligibility for reduced fees or free care.
• Introduces and explains the benefits of hospice care, familiarizing decision-makers with characteristics and needs that indicate an appropriate hospice referral.
• Presents the advantages of the hospice Medicare/Medicaid benefits to referral sources and thoroughly understands related benefits (Medicare home health, long-term care, and HMO benefits).
• Documents a narrative note in the EMR summarizing pertinent physical and psychosocial information from hospital records, physician assessments, and patient/family evaluations.
• Reviews referred patient’s history, medical status, and prognosis to determine eligibility for hospice services based on hospital procedures and hospice admission criteria.
• Completes the patient/family admission packet, including obtaining signed Notice of Election of Hospice Benefit (NOE), admission forms from the patient, family, referral source, and attending physician, and uploads documents electronically to medical records.
• Communicates information from the Comprehensive Assessment to the TMCAH CMO, hospice physician, or covering NP, documents results, and performs a warm handoff to the team.
• Communicates NTUC (Notice of Termination of Coverage) to appropriate staff and managers, documenting reasons and continuation of care measures implemented.
• Promotes hospice services through liaison activities in acute care settings, including case conferences with case managers, discharge planners, physicians, and other healthcare providers.
• Works with TMCAH liaison and intake staff to ensure ease of referral and rapid response to referral sources.
• Evaluates and compares referred patient information against hospice criteria, consulting with the referral management director, referral manager, CMO, or hospice physician when admission is questionable.
• Communicates regularly with patients, families, referral sources, and hospice intake or liaison staff to ensure continuity of care and adherence to the hospice plan of care.
• Develops and conducts in-service presentations in healthcare facilities regarding hospice care and indications for hospice referral.
• Joins approved professional organizations and groups that include key decision-makers in the care of terminally ill patients.
• Assists with public relations activities to promote community awareness of hospice services, including activities during National Hospice Month.
• Reports compliance concerns to the CEO or Chief Compliance Officer as applicable.
• Ensures compliance with guidelines set forth by regulatory agencies (DPH, ERISA, etc.) and demonstrates adherence to Tufts Medicine Care at Home policies and procedures.

Requirements

• Massachusetts RN Licensure.
• Hospice and/or end-of-life experience required.

Benefits

• Competitive salaries and benefits.
• Medical, dental, and vision benefits starting day one.
• 403(b) retirement plan with company match.
• Tuition reimbursement and continuing education support, including access to MedBridge for PT CEUs and licensure/certification support.
• Opportunities for career growth.
• Fleet car program to reduce personal vehicle burden and support clinicians in the field.
• Industry-leading safety program, including:
  • AVADE de-escalation and self-safety training.
  • InvisaWear GPS-enabled safety devices.
  • Escort services to ensure staff safety in the field.

Pay

Pay Range: $87,360.00 - $98,603.60

Schedule

Full-time, 40 hours per week. No weekends or holidays.