Decedent Affairs Manager, Administrative

Vanderbilt University Medical Center•Nashville, TN

2d•Onsite

About The Position

In your pivotal role as Decedent Affairs Manager, you will supervise a team of 6 Decedent Affairs Coordinators. Assists in budget, payroll and/or administrative functions. You will plan and coordinate the operations of Decedent Affairs to assure proper disposition of every deceased patient. The Office of Decedent Affairs at Vanderbilt University Medical Center is here to answer questions and provide information about the release of the deceased loved one, death certificates, the medical examiner or autopsy. We will also help make decisions that best fit the loved ones' needs during this difficult time. We ensure paperwork is completed correctly and that the deceased is released to the funeral home or crematory that they've chosen.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree (or equivalent experience)
3 years of management/supervisory experience
Relevant Work Experience
5 years
High School Diploma or GED

Nice To Haves

Clerical/Administrative (Advanced): Clerical/Administration is a skill which includes most clerical and administrative functions typically carried out by secretaries, administrators and others who perform a clerical role. Among the duties are: Ad Hoc Reporting, Calendar Maintenance, Data Entry, Document Duplication, Document Filing and Maintenance, Document Preparation, Employee Record Maintenance, Employee Time Recording, Faxing and Electronic Mailing, Inventory Management, Mail Sorting and Distribution, Meeting Coordination and Scheduling, Message Management, Receptionist Tasks, Special Projects, Spreadsheet Preparation, Travel Arrangements, and Word Processing and Typing.
Leadership (Intermediate): Formulates a vision while motivating & guiding employees promoting engagement. Leaders state precise goals, ensures the commitment of individuals to those goals, defines the methods of measurement, and provides the incentive to accomplish measureable outcomes.
Quality Management (Novice): Developing a systematic process of checking to see whether a process or service is meeting specific requirements.
Business Results (Novice): Ability to achieve business results while focusing on quality, customer satisfaction, and stewardship.
Compliance (Intermediate): Understanding the rules, regulations, sanctions and other statutory requirements, guidelines and instructions relating to governing bodies and organizations, both internally and externally.
Operations Planning (Intermediate): Anticipates resource needs to meet objectives and implements appropriate processes.
People Management (Intermediate): Interacting, communicating, building relationships and developing employees.

Responsibilities

Managing deaths for all Vanderbilt Health system locations.
Providing guidance to all hospital locations on patient death.
Reviewing all documentation and notification for completion at every location.
Researching, developing, and implementing changes in processes to assure accuracy and consistency at all locations.
Hiring, training, and mentoring staff on processes, responsibilities, reporting requirements, and initiating and/or recommending personnel actions, such as hiring, termination, etc.
Conducting performance reviews and ensuring all performance reviews are conducted in a timely manner.
Counseling employees with regard to disciplinary actions taken in response to violations of institutional policies or procedures.
Preparing and initiating departmental schedule. Coordinating scheduling needs.
Monitor employee time for overtime, sick time, FMLA, and vacation usage. Entering and approving time into payroll system.
Conducting departmental staff meetings.
Acting as liaison between unit, family, and outside agencies, such as Medical Examiner, TDS, funeral homes, State Vital Records.
Coordinating autopsy services with Department of Pathology
Maintaining contracts, monitoring charges, ensuring contracts remain current.
Scheduling and monitoring maintenance /repairs.
Assessing inventory and managing supplies and forms for the department.
Developing employee, nursing, physician training materials, as well as information/ documents for family related to death.
Coordinating with Management any changes required with practices or processes affected by changes in State Regulations for all locations.
Serving as department representative on committees.
Facilitating viewing/identification of deceased in morgue.
Addressing concerns/issues from family, staff, and outside vendors.
Being liaison between physicians and funeral homes to assure Death Certificates are complete and accurate.
Partnering with Tennessee Health Department and VRISM Death Certificate team to ensure Vanderbilt Medical Center is compliant with State Death Certificate vital events registration system.
Preparing Death Certificates for distribution in the State VRISM database.
Notary Republic – Preparing and submitting Notarized Death Certificate affidavits.
Entering fetal death reports into VRISM for L&D and GYN Surgery
Coordinating Vanderbilt sponsored cremations for infants/fetuses including obtaining cremation permit and Death Certificates. Scheduling cremation with Vendor.
Arranging yearly burial of cremated remains.
Coordinating the release of deceased patient valuables with Admitting office
Meeting with families, answering questions and returning cremated remains.
Compiling and distributing monthly reports within the Hospital and to outside agencies.
Coordinating release process for all deceased patients
Completing application and coordinating burial services for Indigent deceased patients with Metro Social Service.
Investigating all leads to locate next of kin for deceased patients and ensuring next of kin is notified of death once identified.
Serving as point of contact for families to address questions related to funeral/ cremation arrangements.
Serving as disaster team leader. Maintaining and updating all departmental disaster related materials associated with emergency preparedness plans.
Participates in projects and/or on-going work activities (timelines, work plans, deliverables) aligned with area initiatives.
Supervises day to day performance of staff as assigned through ongoing assessment and coaching to achieve goals.
Ensures effective operation of an area through development and supervision of processes.
Assists in preparation of the annual operating and capital budgets.