Hospice Clinical Team Manager (RN Required)

About the role

The Team Manager leads the Patient Care Team, supervising, evaluating, and coordinating interdisciplinary team members to ensure continuity of care from admission to discharge or transfer to bereavement. This role serves as a patient advocate and coordinator for social service and healthcare providers, while maintaining patient records throughout the care process.

Responsibilities

• Direct all patient care services, including volunteer and bereavement, ensuring integration with the interdisciplinary plan of care.
• Review pending admissions, new assessments, and discharges to confirm eligibility and appropriateness.
• Collaborate with team and attending physicians on palliative care for pain and symptom management.
• Ensure complete and accurate documentation for timely recertification decisions.
• Oversee discharge planning for imminent "alive" discharges.
• Monitor team services (staffing, medications, supplies, level of care changes) to meet patient/family needs.
• Manage the team schedule to coordinate 24/7 care for all patients.
• Facilitate team meetings to update and revise care plans based on patient/family needs.
• Participate in on-call rotation.
• Interview, select, train, supervise, evaluate, and dismiss team staff in collaboration with the Patient Care Administrator.
• Ensure staff competence through field visits, documentation reviews, and team-based training.
• Act as a resource and mentor for staff on clinical issues, documentation, and customer service.
• Oversee staff and volunteer schedules, territory assignments, and workload distribution.
• Review and approve payroll, ensuring accurate time, mileage, and expense documentation.
• Monitor clinical records and team activities for compliance with VITAS policies and regulatory standards.
• Develop and implement performance improvement activities to address service challenges.
• Ensure completion of patient/family satisfaction surveys and implement quality improvement measures.
• Assist with regulatory surveys and perform substantive chart reviews to ensure quality care.
• Participate in Outcomes Management and annual program reviews.
• Perform utilization reviews for continuous care and inpatient levels of care.
• Address and resolve patient/family or physician grievances and service failures promptly.
• Analyze customer service issues and work with the team to improve performance.
• Engage with patients, families, and physicians to prevent unnecessary revocations.
• Visit LTC and contract bed facilities to ensure care plan integration and customer satisfaction.
• Participate in customer inservices and community service organizations.
• Verify and approve admitting IPOC diagnoses, treatments, staffing, and supplies for cost containment.
• Monitor resource utilization to ensure cost-effective service delivery.
• Control productivity, labor, and patient care costs within budget.
• Approve all bills and invoices related to patient care services.
• Attend inservices, educational seminars, and workshops for professional development.
• Set and achieve professional growth goals and mentor newly hired Team Managers.

Requirements

• Reliable transportation with appropriate license and insurance coverage.
• Private telephone in home.
• Knowledge of primary medical and nursing care principles, with a working understanding of oncologic nursing and palliative care.
• Understanding of interdisciplinary team dynamics and the process of dying and bereavement.
• Working knowledge of VITAS information system (Vx) and ability to utilize management reports.
• Two years of successful supervisory experience or equivalent in a healthcare organization.

Qualifications

• Current and valid R.N. license to practice in the state where the VITAS program is located.
• Bachelor's degree preferred.