Hospital & Patient Services Specialist

Fresenius Medical Care•Long Beach, CA

4d•$64,000 - $85,000•Onsite

About The Position

This role will be onsite at the Long Beach Memorial Hospital. The purpose of this position is to utilize knowledge of dialysis admissions processes within a defined market to assess and facilitate the transition of hospital in-patient dialysis patients into an outpatient end stage renal disease (ESRD) facility. This role contributes to a decreased length and number of hospital stays by applying knowledge of ESRD locations and their specific admissions protocols to ensure the provision of the appropriate discharge placement services of ESRD patients. Per the specific contract with the hospital, this may include assessing patient need for other outpatient services and collaborating with service providers and practitioners for provision of the services. The specialist maintains communication with Pre-ESRD and ESRD patients, physicians treating those patients, discharge planners, hospital staff, community resources, and educational professionals to ensure service satisfaction. The role also develops and maintains data for metric/performance reporting to the hospitals serviced and FMS Management. The position is primarily based in a hospital, hospital system, or group of unaffiliated hospitals.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree required with concentration in Business, Marketing, or Social Work preferred.
In lieu of Bachelor’s Degree: RN or LVN/LPN Degree with a minimum of 3 years as practitioner with concentration in discharge planning, or Associate Degree plus 6+ years healthcare experience, sales and marketing experience, or High School Diploma plus 10+ years of healthcare experience, sales and marketing experience.
Bachelor’s Degree with 2 – 5 years’ related experience; or Master’s degree with no experience; or equivalent directly related education and work experience.
Prior experience with discharge facilitation preferred.
Experience dependent on education level described above under education heading.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
Detail oriented with excellent customer service, organizational, time management, and interpersonal skills required.
Professional appearance required.
Ability to develop and cultivate productive relationships, communicate with all levels of peers and management in a respectful and tactful manner.
Ability to respond effectively to sensitive inquiries.
Good computer skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
Ability to learn new IS/IT systems required.
Completion of and compliance with Marketing and Business Development Functional Compliance Program, Privacy and Security Program and overall Compliance Program.
Ability to adapt to change and support new policies and procedures in a positive manner.

Nice To Haves

Concentration in Business, Marketing, or Social Work preferred for Bachelor's Degree.

Responsibilities

Leverage knowledge of outpatient dialysis services provided by renal providers in the market area (both Fresenius and non-Fresenius providers) and other local outpatient service providers to advise and assist hospitalized renal patients, hospital staff and discharge planners to identify, organize and coordinate the various providers and services to meet the needs of the renal patient and the hospital services contract.
Facilitate the placement of in-patient dialysis patients into the out-patient setting by using knowledge regarding the dialysis facilities and modalities offered within the assigned market, and whether there are options such as rehab or nursing homes with dialysis services on location, or home therapy programs available, to provide patient with choices/recommendations.
Coordinate with the patient and discharge planners to identify appropriate placement for outpatient services according to individual patient preferences, physician orders; vacancy rates and capacity of outpatient dialysis facilities within the market.
Work closely with appropriate hospital staff/partners and contractors to ensure hospital directives; patient requests; and physician orders are addressed appropriately.
Collaborate with outpatient dialysis staff and hospital staff/partners and contractors to resolve issues relating to the placement of patients into the outpatient setting.
Focus on decreasing the length and number of hospital stays by assessing the outpatient needs of the patient and assisting with the outpatient placement of renal patients into ESRD facilities. The actual format and type of assistance is generally defined in the hospital contract and may include determining the type of placement needed by the patient (e.g., in-center, nocturnal, or home dialysis), establishing whether there is a need for a vascular access assessment and placement, and intervening early into the hospital admission process to identify whether a patient may need a permanent nephrologist and if they do, to arrange nephrology consult and the needed services to discharge to dialysis vs. after dialysis thus contributing to a decrease length of stay.
Assess the needs of the hospital for other outpatient services responding to related questions and making suggestions as to how Fresenius can address these needs. Facilitate and coordinate the provision of these other renal services for pre-ESRD and ESRD patients collaborating with the appropriate clinicians to provides services such as: renal education; therapy selection education; access selection education; distribution of area nephrologists or vascular access surgeon listings; insurance and financial education, etc.
Assess related customer service issues and complaints regarding service levels reported by the hospital. Initiate and coordinate the appropriate interventions and action plans to respond, resolve, and follow up, involving the participating of Fresenius (including but not limited to Financial Coordinators, Market Development, various specialists) and non-Fresenius staff to accomplish this.
Develop and maintain knowledge of the admissions processes for the local dialysis market to monitor and quickly react to changes which may impact the hospital(s) and patient services provided.
Develop and maintain knowledge of the support services and options provided within the community to ensure facilitation of outpatient dialysis services is not delayed.
Collaborate with appropriate hospital representatives (e.g. discharge planners, nurses; physicians; accounting/finance, et al) to obtain appropriate discharge information necessary for outpatient placement, assessing content of the records for content relative to discharge coordination.
Collect and maintain a database of various metrics. Perform trend analyses and identify anomalies or discrepancies providing applicable reports and observations to both hospital and FMS management to determine process improvement and to allow FMS management to consider and discuss returns on investment with the hospital. Metrics administered include but are not limited to: Statistics related to program performance such as number of discharges to Fresenius vs. non-Fresenius location; controllable vs. non-controllable delays; readmission rates/repeat admissions, length of stay; education referrals; and nephrology or vascular access referrals.
Identify and report market changes that impact the outpatient placement and education services such as new/closing dialysis providers; new/revised admission requirements in the area; new service offerings; and new nephrologists to the market, etc. and responding to these as appropriate.
Participate in regular meetings with the pertinent hospital management and staff to ascertain hospital’s satisfaction with the program and service level.
Identify and address concerns the hospital may have with the outpatient placement service levels and developing action plans with appropriate FMCNA and hospital staff to effectuate process improvements.
Identify process improvements to the outpatient placement process and collaborate with appropriate management and affected parties to implement the process improvements.
Collaborate with appropriate education and community resources to introduce and educate patients, hospital staff/partners, and or contractors to renal education as requested by the hospital. Coordinate such education as defined within the contract governing the services (e.g. modality education; vascular access education; basic dialysis insurance, etc.). May educate patients directly if experience and qualifications meet education criteria.
May be assigned to Patient Services Specialist duties during low census periods within acute programs.
Review and comply with the Code of Business Conduct and all applicable company policies and procedures, local, state and federal laws and regulations.
May refer to senior level staff for assistance with higher level problems that may arise.
Escalate issues to supervisor/manager for resolution, as deemed necessary.
Assist with various projects as assigned by direct supervisor.
Perform other related duties as assigned.