Discharge Plan Manager, Casual

UPMC•Pittsburgh, PA

13h

About The Position

UPMC Mercy is hiring a Casual Discharge Plan Manager for its Clinical Care Coordination and Discharge Planning Department. The position works varied days between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., depending on departmental needs, and includes weekend responsibility. The role is intended for an RN or social worker interested in care management, case management, or care coordination. RNs and social workers serve equally in discharge plan roles, acting as a central point of contact throughout a patient's care in partnership with a physician or APP. The Discharge Plan Manager coordinates and is accountable for patients' post-discharge needs, while also serving as a financial steward for the hospital. The role assesses relevant factors, engages the care team, and focuses on timely use of hospital resources and an optimal discharge plan. This includes reviewing discipline recommendations and coordinating the care needed to support positive patient outcomes after inpatient care. Title and salary are determined at the time of offer and commensurate with experience. The Discharge Planning Associate is the entry-level title, with a starting rate of $26.17 per hour. The manager assesses patients' medical and social circumstances, identifies support systems and barriers to discharge, coordinates services, and continually revises plans as needs change. The position works with patients, families, caregivers, practitioners, interdisciplinary care teams, hospitals, and post-hospital providers to organize safe, efficient transitions. It also advocates for patients, documents care, supports cost-effective care, and provides staff orientation and mentoring as appropriate.

Requirements

At least one year of experience in discharge planning or care coordination, including relevant coordination of clinical care across settings, insurance authorizations, or connecting patients with appropriate outpatient regional resources.
RN applicants must have a diploma or associate's degree.
Social worker applicants must have a bachelor's degree in social work or another health or human services field that promotes the physical, psychosocial, and/or vocational well-being of those served.
RN applicants must have an RN license.
Social worker applicants must have an LBSW or other related healthcare professional license.

Nice To Haves

A master's degree for social worker applicants is preferred.
CCM, ACM, or another nursing or social work certification is preferred.

Responsibilities

Identify clinical, psychosocial, historical, financial, cultural, and spiritual needs that inform planning with patients, taking health literacy, understanding, engagement, preferences, goals of care, and social determinants of health into account.
Assess every patient to understand medical and social factors, self-care capacity, support systems, discharge barriers, and potential need for and availability of post-hospital services.
Continually reassess discharge plans based on changing care needs and the appropriateness of the plan.
Facilitate teams in developing and carrying out safe, efficient discharges; maintain knowledge of local resources and providers and their capabilities and capacity.
Arrange appropriate post-hospital care before discharge, help avoid unnecessary discharge delays, and coordinate transition plans using patient goals, team assessments, risks, and available resources.
Communicate with patients, members, caregivers, and interdisciplinary care teams; serve as a liaison between patients and the care team.
Collaborate with attending practitioners, caregivers, and multidisciplinary team members to coordinate individualized care plans.
Incorporate discipline-specific recommendations, test results, and outstanding orders into discharge plans; monitor and revise plans in response to discharge milestones.
Serve as a contact among hospitals, post-hospital care facilities, and physicians providing care in those settings.
Share accountability with patients, members, caregivers, and team members for developing discharge plans and achieving optimal outcomes.
Align practice with organizational mission, vision, and values; follow applicable professional and UPMC ethical standards and codes of conduct; maintain clinical knowledge and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
Advocate for patients, families, and caregivers in accessing services and protecting patient health, well-being, safety, and rights.
Manage care costs while considering patient safety, clinical quality, risk, and patient satisfaction.
Use innovation and technology to improve collaboration and patient outcomes; document care in the patient medical chart.
Provide staff orientation and mentoring as appropriate.