Care Navigator RN

Advocate Health and Hospitals Corporation • Macon, GA

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The Care Navigator RN participates in rounds on the patient care unit with the attending physician and other members of the health care team, coordinating communication to ensure collaboration and consistency in moving the patient's care towards their estimated date of discharge. This role assesses patients to determine their discharge planning and/or post-acute transition needs, and develops a discharge plan in collaboration with the physician. The plan addresses the patient's physical, functional, social, and psychological status, as well as cultural and language needs, and caregiver resources and available benefits. The Care Navigator RN assigns the appropriate care pathway based on clinical feedback and diagnosis-DRG, ensuring coordination of services among physicians, specialists, community agencies, and vendors. They utilize clinical judgment, independent analysis, evidence-based guidelines, patient preferences, and interdisciplinary team input to make decisions, assess progress toward goals, and identify barriers. The role involves preparing and maintaining appropriate documentation, closing cases in accordance with procedures, and referring cases for post-discharge follow-up. The Care Navigator RN advocates for the patient's best interest regarding funding, treatment alternatives, timelines, and care coordination, continuously identifying community and caregiver resources for continuity of care. They integrate patient-centered care into nursing processes, involving patients and families in decisions and incorporating evidence-based practices. Communication of the care plan to patients and families, soliciting concerns and questions, and demonstrating customer-focused interpersonal skills are essential. Additionally, the role performs Utilization Management duties, acting as a liaison between the Precert Team and physicians, conducting utilization reviews as mandated by Navicent Health UM plan and regulatory agencies, and working with physicians to establish appropriate admission status for billing. They ensure CMS compliance, issue IMM notices, monitor CarePathways, make referrals to UM Physician Advisors, and track utilization of services and delays.

Requirements

• Completion of an accredited nursing educational program, BSN preferred.
• Current registered nursing license.
• Eligibility to manage patients in a facility outside of the state of applicable state requires a compact License.
• Minimum of three years of recent experience in acute care, home health, case management, discharge planning or care management.
• Experience as a Care Manager preferred.
• Experience with IT solutions such as electronic health record, learning management or disease/care management systems a plus.

Nice To Haves

• BSN preferred.
• Experience as a Care Manager preferred.
• Experience with IT solutions such as electronic health record, learning management or disease/care management systems a plus.

Responsibilities

• Participates in rounds on the patient care unit with the attending physician and other members of the health care team; coordinates communication to assure collaboration and consistency in moving the patient's care to estimated date of discharge.
• Assesses patients to determine their discharge planning and/or post-acute transition needs.
• Develops the discharge plan and works with the physician to implement the plan utilizing internal and external resources to ensure a safe discharge or transition to alternate level of care.
• Assigns the appropriate care pathway based on the clinical feedback from the physician and the diagnosis-DRG.
• Ensures coordination of services among the patient's physicians, specialists, community agencies and vendors.
• Works collaboratively with patient's physicians and members of the multidisciplinary team to assure communication and exchange of input related to patient's specific care needs.
• Utilizes clinical judgment, independent analysis, evidence-based clinical guidelines, patient preference, and input from interdisciplinary team in making decisions.
• Assesses progress toward goals and identifies barriers to meeting goals.
• Prepares and maintains appropriate documentation of patient care and progress within the designated systems.
• Closes cases in accordance with defined case closure procedure in a timely manner and in accordance with established guidelines.
• Refers cases for post discharge follow up to the Care Navigator-Outpatient.
• Advocate in the patient's best interest for necessary funding, treatment alternatives, timelines and coordination of care, with frequent evaluations of progress and goals.
• Continues to identify community and caregiver resources to ensure continuity of care during and after completion of the care management plan.
• Integrates patient-centered care into the nursing processes to include the patient(s) and family in care decisions, incorporating evidence based practices to achieve safe and effective patient and process outcomes.
• Communicates plan of care to patient and family and solicits concerns, questions, and issues for resolution.
• Demonstrates customer focused interpersonal skills to interact in an effective manner with practitioners, the interdisciplinary health care team, community agencies, patients, and families with diverse opinions, values, and religious and cultural ideals.
• Performs Utilization Management duties as indicated by the UM Plan and the payer requirements.
• Acts as a liaison between the Precert Team and the physician.
• Performs all duties related to utilization review as mandated by Navicent Health UM plan and by regulatory agencies such as DNV, CMS, Payers, DCH, etc.
• Works with Physician to establish the appropriate admission status for billing.
• Ensures all aspects of the process are addressed from a CMS compliance standpoint.
• Issues the IMM notice to discharging patient, Monitors CarePathways entering clinical information into the system and using an established UR criterion.
• Makes referrals to the UM Physician Advisors as per policy.
• Works with Attending Physician to ensure changes to status are supported by order and documentation.
• Track utilization of professional services, service delays, discharge delays, etc and reports as necessary.
• Provides collaboration with the Attending Physician to work through the delays

Benefits

• Paid Time Off programs
• Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability
• Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
• Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave
• Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs
• Educational Assistance Program

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level