Decent Affairs Program Coordinator (NIGHTS)

Vanderbilt University Medical Center•Nashville, TN

2d•Onsite

About The Position

In your pivotal role as Decedent Affairs Coordinator, you will facilitate the deceased patient process, assisting with legal reporting, supporting families, and ensuring timely and appropriate disposition of remains. Strong customer service and compassion will be required for this role, as you will be dealing with physicians, nurses and families of the deceased. The Office of Decedent Affairs at Vanderbilt University Medical Center is here to answer your questions and provide information about the release of your loved one, death certificates, the medical examiner or autopsy. We will also help you make decisions that best fit your needs during this difficult time. We ensure paperwork is completed correctly and that your loved one is released to the funeral home or crematory you’ve chosen.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree (or equivalent experience)
Minimum of 1 year of relevant experience

Nice To Haves

Mentoring & Coaching (Novice): Demonstrates high levels of training and mentoring expertise in challenging and complex situations. Often takes a lead role in highly pressurized situations when there is a need to achieve training results. Consistently provides training and mentoring in a creative and imaginative manner while setting a standard for others. Knows how to use failure as a learning process in a constructive way, replacing contention and conflict with enthusiasm and confidence. Personalizes the impact of behavior on performance and assignments. Has a proven track record of providing constructive suggestions, facilitating implementation of programs and improvements, recognizing achievements individually and reinforcing success.
Quality Management (Novice): Developing a systematic process of checking to see whether a process or service is meeting specific requirements.
Process Improvement (Novice): Identifies, analyzes and improves upon existing business processes for optimization and to meet standards of quality.
Networking (Novice): Build relationships through industry contacts, professional organizations and individuals.
Peer Leadership (Novice): The ability to show leadership and influence people of equal rank in an effort to accomplish team goals.

Responsibilities

Manage deaths for all Vanderbilt Health System locations. Responsibilities include taking report, ensure documentation is complete, ensures outside agency reporting has been completed (Medical Examiner, Donor Service), confirms next of kin notification, coordinate disposition.
Death Certificate Administration –Starts the state Death Certificate, completes demographic information, ensures physician completes appropriate sections of the certificate and certifies. Assigns certificate to the funeral home crematory specified by the next of kin or files with state. Assist physicians to submit notarized affidavit to change information on a state death certificate.
Documentation audits/ quality -Confirms accuracy of morgue logs. Monthly audits of morgue badge swipe reports to ensure morgue security. Confirms accuracy of death disposition in patient EMR. Perform documentation audits to ensure all death documentation is complete and correct.
Coordinates Vanderbilt sponsored cremations for infants/fetuses including required permits and documentation. Schedule appointments and return cremains to family.
Provide families with information about obtaining state Death Certificate
Coordinate with other departments and agencies to ensure families can schedule a meeting with individuals when they have questions following the death of a patient.
Issue permit for transport of decedent across state lines
Coordinate cultural and religious customs requests surrounding the release of decedent to the funeral home or crematory
Serves as morgue attendant – Oversee the handling and storage of deceased individuals in accordance with legal and ethical standards.
Train, and mentors new Decedent Affairs staff on processes, responsibilities, and reporting requirements.
Developing and maintaining education and resource information on hospital procedures, and workflows.
Overall departmental management when the Associate Director is unavailable or otherwise needs assistance.
Assists Associate Director with staffing, scheduling, reporting, and communication needs.