Manager, Speech Therapy

About the Role

This position leads the development, implementation, evaluation, and revision of speech pathology policies, clinical practice agreements, and quality assurance programs. The role maintains accountability for Speech Pathology team members' compliance with all licensure and documentation requirements, drives clinical initiatives and training programs, and oversees the coordination of speech pathology services to ensure high-quality and accessible care. The position evaluates and administers diagnostic tests, provides individualized treatment for complex communication disorders, voice and swallowing impairments, and neurological defects, and leads collaborations with interdisciplinary teams on care plan development and modifications.

Responsibilities

• Provides developmental opportunities for others; builds collaborative, cross-functional relationships.
• Solicits and acts on performance feedback; works closely with employees to set goals and provide open feedback and coaching to drive performance improvement.
• Pursues professional growth; develops and provides training and development to talent for growth opportunities; supports execution of performance management guidelines and expectations.
• Leads, adapts, implements, and stays up to date with organizational change, challenges, feedback, best practices, processes, and industry trends.
• Fosters open dialogue amongst team members, engages, motivates, and promotes collaboration within and across teams.
• Delegates tasks and decisions as appropriate; provides support, guidance, and scope; encourages development and consideration of options in decision making.
• Manages designated work unit or team by translating business plans into tactical action items; oversees completion of work assignments and identifies opportunities for improvement; ensures all policies and procedures are followed.
• Aligns team efforts; builds accountability for and measures progress in achieving results; determines and ensures processes and methodologies are implemented; resolves escalated issues; sets standards and measures progress.
• Fosters the development of work plans to meet business priorities and deadlines; obtains and distributes resources; removes obstacles that impact performance; identifies and addresses improvement opportunities; guides performance and develops contingency plans; influences teams to execute in alignment with operational objectives.
• Demonstrates clinical expertise by implementing and guiding teams across multiple sites in the adoption of clinical standards, protocols, and complex, long-term projects based on the latest research and industry developments to improve workflow efficiencies and patient outcomes.
• Contributes to the development and implementation of evidence-based practice standards across multiple sites, monitors and evaluates related outcomes, and provides training to ensure adherence to evidence-based and medically necessary standards.
• Provides training and ensures teams have the necessary resources, training, and support to effectively provide care and educate others (e.g., members, families, caregivers, the healthcare team) on industry developments and evidence-based best practices.
• Oversees participation in appropriate and approved educational and clinical development opportunities (e.g., quality improvement activities, continuing education courses, staff training) to maintain and enhance competencies in professional practice.
• Leads teams in maintaining a safe and compliant care practice by coaching teams to comply with federal, state, and local regulations, ensuring departmental policies and procedures align with external requirements.
• Provides guidance on the development of reports for administrative and regulatory purposes and disseminates insights from reports across multiple sites.
• Proactively identifies and mitigates potential risks to patient, staff, and member safety by implementing safety protocols; ensures reporting of safety hazards, accidents, incidents, and unsafe working conditions, and oversees implementation of corrective actions.
• Manages allocation of resources (e.g., personnel, equipment) across multiple sites, implements processes to streamline operations and maximize cost savings.
• Optimizes and streamlines processes of stocking shelves, taking inventory, ordering supplies, and cleaning equipment to enhance efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
• Analyzes performance metrics to assess effectiveness of services and guides teams to implement data-driven solutions to enhance service delivery (e.g., quality, efficiencies, cost).
• Contributes to and facilitates strategic planning, staffing, budget, and performance discussions, collaborating with cross-functional teams to achieve organizational objectives.
• Conducts and/or oversees comprehensive assessments of patient condition and needs; develops, coordinates, and monitors the development and implementation of patient care plans, proactively identifying and addressing complex patient needs, goals, and preferences.
• Leverages extensive knowledge of patient safety and care practices to manage the provision of care and ensure safe administration of medications, procedures, and infection control.
• Guides teams to determine medical necessity and need for continued care based on rate of progress; promotes patient advocacy and encourages continuous assessment of treatment efficacy to identify needs for treatment modifications.
• Oversees modifications to treatment/care plans and mentors team members on evaluating complex responses to treatment and developing modifications for complex cases.
• Oversees discharge processes for patients who have reached established goals or received maximum treatment benefits.
• Manages staff and projects to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of therapy services and coordination of care services.
• Manages the resolution of complex service/care issues and unusual occurrences (UOs), including patient complaints/grievances, and guides teams to resolve complex patient concerns.
• Guides teams to identify and implement process improvements to increase access, improve efficiency, and promote quality outcomes of therapy services based on data analysis and feedback from patients and staff.
• Collaborates within the team and with leaders across multi-disciplinary teams to foster care coordination, improve service delivery, and elevate the patient experience.
• Develops new products and services that align with company goals, member needs, and emerging evidence and trends in healthcare; ensures implementation of new products/services by teams across multiple sites.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology.
• Minimum five (5) years of experience in speech language pathology or a directly related field.
• Completion of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY) under supervision of a licensed speech/language pathologist.
• Minimum three (3) years of experience in a leadership role with or without direct reports.
• Registered with the Medicare Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS) within six (6) months from date of hire/transfer.
• Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology Certificate required at hire OR Clinical Competence Certificate - Audiology required at hire.
• Basic Life Support required at hire.
• National Provider Identifier required at hire.
• Speech-Language Pathologist License (California) required at hire OR Audiologist License (California) required at hire.

Preferred Qualifications

• Two (2) years of experience in a leadership role with direct reports.
• One (1) year of experience managing operational or project budgets.

Skills

Core Skills:

• Ambiguity/Uncertainty Management
• Attention to Detail
• Business Knowledge
• Communication
• Constructive Feedback
• Critical Thinking
• Cross-Group Collaboration
• Decision Making
• Dependability
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Support
• Drives Results
• Facilitation Skills
• Health Care Industry Knowledge
• Influencing Others
• Integrity
• Leadership
• Learning Agility
• Organizational Savvy
• Problem Solving
• Short- and Long-term Learning & Recall
• Strategic Thinking
• Team Building
• Teamwork
• Topic-Specific Communication

Functional Skills:

• Speech-Language Pathology
• Care Coordination
• Clinical Quality Expertise
• Intercultural Skills
• Maintain Files and Records
• Mentoring and Coaching
• Patient Advocacy
• Patient Assessment
• Patient Education
• Patient Safety
• Quality Assurance and Effectiveness
• Quality Improvement
• Resource Management
• Service Focus
• Time Management

Schedule

• Full-time
• Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40
• Shift: Day
• Workdays: Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat
• Working Hours Start: 07:30 AM
• Working Hours End: 04:00 PM

Pay

The posted pay range is $166,000 - $191,400 per year. Actual base pay determined at offer will be based on labor market data, internal alignment, and a candidate's years of relevant work experience, education, certifications, skills, and geographic location.

Benefits

Kaiser Permanente strives to offer a market competitive total rewards package and is committed to pay equity and transparency.