Team Manager Inpatient

Responsibilities

• Direct all patient care services for the team, including volunteer and bereavement, integrating them into the interdisciplinary plan of care.
• Review information on pending patient admissions, new admissions (assessments and history), and “alive” discharges to ensure eligibility and appropriateness criteria are met.
• Collaborate with the team physician and attending physician on palliative care measures for pain and symptom management.
• Ensure complete and accurate data and documentation are available for recertification decisions, and that these decisions are made in a timely manner.
• Review imminent “alive” discharges to assure effective discharge planning.
• Monitor type and level of team services (staffing, medications, HME, supplies, level of care changes) to ensure they are appropriate and responsive to patient/family needs.
• Manage the team schedule and coordinate services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for all patients on the team.
• Facilitate team meetings, ensuring interdisciplinary input into updates and revisions of the plan of care.
• Participate in on‑call rotation.

Staff Supervision and Management

• Interview, select, train, supervise, evaluate, and dismiss team staff in conjunction with the Patient Care Administrator.
• Ensure staff competence and performance through field visits, documentation evaluation, and providing team‑based services aligned with VITAS values, hospice principles, and team growth needs.
• Act as a resource and mentor for staff on clinical issues, documentation, problem solving, and appropriate customer‑service behavior.
• Oversee staff and volunteer schedules, territory assignments, and equitable workload distribution to meet productivity expectations.
• Review and approve payroll, ensuring accurate documentation of time, mileage, and additional expenses.

Quality Improvement and Regulatory Compliance

• Monitor clinical records and team activities for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with VITAS policy and regulatory standards.
• Develop and implement performance‑improvement activities to address service issues and participate in quality and service‑improvement programs.
• Ensure completion of proactive and other patient/family satisfaction surveys and implement quality‑improvement measures.
• Assist with surveys and requests from regulatory bodies and intermediaries as directed.
• Conduct substantive chart reviews to verify that quality care is being delivered.
• Participate in outcomes management and the annual program review.
• Perform utilization review of continuous‑care and inpatient levels of care for all patients on the team.

Customer Service, Sales, and Marketing

• Address problems, grievances, and service failures experienced by patients/families, physicians, or MCOs, coordinating resolution with team members, vendors, and other VITAS departments.
• Analyze customer‑service issues to identify causes and work with team members to improve performance.
• Speak directly with patients/families and attending physicians when revocation is being considered, seeking satisfactory solutions to avoid unnecessary revocation.
• Regularly visit LTC and contract‑bed facilities to ensure care‑plan integration, customer satisfaction, and discuss appropriateness criteria.
• Participate in providing in‑services to customers alongside team members, Patient Care Administrators, and program staff.
• Participate in professional, voluntary, or community‑service organizations.

Cost Containment

• Verify and approve admitting IPOC diagnosis, treatments, staffing, and supplies.
• Monitor resource utilization for each patient to ensure cost‑effective delivery of services.
• Control and be accountable for productivity, labor, and related patient‑care costs within budget.
• Approve all bills and invoices related to patient‑care services.

Professional Development

• Attend in‑services, educational seminars, and workshops.
• Develop and achieve professional growth goals and objectives.
• Mentor newly hired Team Managers.

Qualifications

• Reliable transportation with appropriate license and insurance coverage for driver and passengers.
• Private telephone in home.
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of primary medical and nursing care, with at least a working knowledge of oncologic nursing and palliative care.
• Basic understanding of interpersonal dynamics within interdisciplinary health‑care teams and knowledge of the dying and bereavement process.
• Working knowledge of VITAS information system (Vx) and ability to utilize management reports.
• Two years of successful supervisory experience or equivalent in a health‑care organization.

Education

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

Special Instructions to Candidates

EOE/AA M/F/D/V