Associate Case Manager, Sickle Cell

Boston Medical Center•Boston, MA

21h

About The Position

The Associate Case Manager for the sickle cell program provides advocacy and medical and social case management services to sickle cell patients under the supervision of the Program Manager or another qualified individual. The role helps patients access the sickle cell clinic, social service benefits, and internal and external resources; monitors patient progress; and advocates for patients who are unable to advocate for themselves. The Associate Case Manager documents work in the electronic medical record and meets data-entry, data-integrity, and reporting requirements for BMC and funding entities. The role also contributes to patient navigation program development locally and nationally. The position supports patient and family assessments, care-plan coordination, appointment access, referrals, resource connections, and communication among patients, clinicians, and other services. It also contributes to quality improvement, outcome monitoring, program administration, research-related training and certifications, community networking, and staff orientation. The employee must protect confidential information and follow hospital policies, safety procedures, and behavioral standards.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent required; a degree in social work, psychology, or a related human-services field is highly preferred.
At least 1 year of relevant experience required; an associate-degree candidate must have 3 years of relevant experience.
Knowledge of community, social, and health resources, particularly oncology-related resources.
Empathic understanding of ill patients and ability to conduct multicultural needs assessments and develop concrete service plans.
Ability to establish working relationships with patients, families, professionals, and community members and collaborate with a multidisciplinary healthcare team.
Computer competency, including ability to access and enter data.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office products, including Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint.
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, with organizational skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities.
Effective verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
Flexibility in responding to clients’ priorities, evolving needs, and goals.
Sensitivity to ethnic, cultural, gender, and sexual-orientation diversity, values, beliefs, and behaviors.
Social work, psychology, or related-field degree and/or Research Associate certification is listed as preferred.

Nice To Haves

Degree in social work, psychology, or a related human-services field.
Experience in an oncology setting.
Bilingual or multilingual skills beyond English appropriate to the patient population served.
Social work, psychology, or related-field degree and/or certification as a Research Associate.

Responsibilities

Review medical information and coordinate with the medical team to understand each patient’s care plan, needs, and barriers to care.
Provide advocacy and medical and social case management services to sickle cell patients under program supervision.
Assess patients and families for emotional and social concerns and barriers to care, and formulate service plans.
Connect patients with support services, social work, financial assistance, childcare, housing, food, clothing, transportation, financial entitlements, food pantries, and community resources.
Work with clinical staff to ensure patients and families understand preparations required for procedures.
Extract relevant information from patients and report symptoms or problems to clinical staff promptly.
Review Epic registry reports before each patient’s clinic visit.
Help patients access primary care and subspecialty providers, including appointment support and coordination.
Provide appointment education and reminder calls using culturally, linguistically, and educationally appropriate strategies; coordinate interpreter services as needed.
Meet with patients and families or significant others to review treatment plans and supportive services.
Work with medical records and referring clinicians to obtain patient information and facilitate information flow among patients, clinicians, and services.
Coordinate with the clinical team to implement care plans and confirm tests, consultations, visits, and support services are scheduled and barriers such as interpreter needs and transportation are addressed.
Document patient encounters, resource-development efforts, and interventions in the electronic medical record, including date, time, and signature.
Develop and maintain quality-improvement and outcome-monitoring programs.
Meet documentation, data-collection, regulatory, and contract requirements, and submit required statistics, records, and reports on time.
Participate in developing Standard Operating Procedures, grant writing and reporting, and preparing program summaries.
Provide administrative and special-project assistance as assigned by the Sickle Cell Program Director.
Protect confidential and sensitive information and serve as a link between the sickle cell program and other hospital departments.
Adapt to changing departmental needs, support team members, and adjust assignments as directed.
Assist with orientation and training of new staff and volunteers; work with hospital departments to support effective working relationships.
Represent Navigation Services at local networking meetings and maintain relationships with community health centers.
Develop and maintain a comprehensive patient-data database in collaboration with the IT Department.
Prepare and present PowerPoint presentations at local and national conferences.
Obtain NIH Certification in the Protection of Human Subjects, maintain certification through required monthly training, and obtain and maintain ICH Good Clinical Practice Certification.
Identify system deficiencies and work with the Program Director to address them; perform other assigned duties.
Follow hospital standards and policies concerning patient rights and privacy, cultural beliefs, infection control, safety, work standards, and RESPECT behavioral standards, and promote a positive collaborative work environment.