Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA)- Home Health University City FT Days

Advocate Health and Hospitals Corporation•Charlotte, NC

15d•Remote

About The Position

The Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA) is responsible for the daily management of an assigned patient caseload in home health settings. This includes ensuring timely care and documentation to meet patient needs and services as prescribed in the established plan of care and per physician orders. The COTA collects pertinent data from patient assessments, telephonic contacts, and EMR information. They implement patient care programs, including modalities, procedures, exercise programs, and patient education as established by the Occupational Therapist (OT). The role involves documenting and implementing a plan of care that addresses patient and family needs, including discharge planning and resource utilization. The COTA demonstrates clinical reasoning and skills to conduct accurate assessments, perform patient care activities, evaluate therapy intervention effectiveness, and identify patient/family strengths, needs, and priorities. They provide and document patient and family education regarding deficits, progress, and therapeutic techniques, including individualized home programs and equipment use. Maintaining communication with the multidisciplinary team, physician oversight, and branch leadership is crucial for providing updates and discussing patient conditions or changes needed in the plan of care. The COTA performs ordered treatments and therapies in accordance with state practice acts, TJC, Medicare guidelines, OASIS, and agency policies. They also promote shared governance, decision-making, and research to positively affect clinical outcomes.

Requirements

Must be able to lift and support the weight of 50 pounds in handling patients, medical equipment, and supplies.
Ability to travel extensively during all seasons to assigned patients place of residence.
Works in a variety of home environments and conditions.
Must speak English in good, understandable terms.
Intact sense of sight, hearing, smell, touch.
Finger dexterity.
Critical thinking and ability to concentrate.
Must be able to respond quickly to changes in patient and/or unit conditions.
Ability to work flexible schedule to meet patients' needs.
Personal Protective Equipment such as gloves, goggles, gowns, and masks are sometimes required due to possible exposure to hazardous chemicals or blood and body

Responsibilities

Responsible for the daily management of an assigned patient caseload, ensuring timely care and documentation to meet the patient needs/services as prescribed in the established plan of care and per MD orders
Collects data pertinent to the healthcare consumer's health or the situation from patient assessments in the home setting, telephonic contacts and/or related EMR information available.
Implements patient care programs including necessary modalities, procedures, exercise programs, and patient education as established by the OT.
Documents and implements a plan of care to meet patient and family needs, to include discharge planning and utilization of available resources.
Demonstrates clinical reasoning, coupled with clinical skills to conduct accurate clinical assessments and perform patient care activities; evaluates effectiveness of therapy interventions, identifies and prioritizes patient/family strength, needs and priorities.
Provides and documents patient and family education in regard to deficits, progress toward goals, and therapeutic techniques, with individualized instruction for a home program including equipment use.
Maintains communication with multidisciplinary team providing updates and changes in schedules, patient data or needs, and physician orders.
Incorporates short and long-term goals established in the plan of care into therapy, as evidenced by documentation in visit notes.
Supports effective communication and collaboration with the physician oversight, and branch PT/ leaderships supervision to ensure timely feedback regarding patients' condition and/or need for changes in the plan of care.
Remains and performs ordered treatments, therapies, and/or procedures in accordance with State Physical Therapy Practice Act and Home Health Conditions of Participation, TJC, Medicare Guidelines, OASIS and agency policy and procedures
Promotes shared governance and decision making activities, developing and nurturing research to positively affect clinical outcomes and promotion.