LTCR HCS Nurse Surveyor

TX-HHSC-DSHS-DFPS•Houston, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Join the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and be part of a team committed to creating a positive impact in the lives of fellow Texans. At HHSC, your contributions matter, and we support you at each stage of your life and work journey. Our comprehensive benefits package includes 100% paid employee health insurance for full-time eligible employees, a defined benefit pension plan, generous time off benefits, numerous opportunities for career advancement and more. Explore more details on the Benefits of Working at HHS webpage. If you are looking for a place to work where you can establish a career that is filled with purpose, this is the job for you! As part of a collaborative team of public servants, a Nurse Surveyor protects individuals’ health and safety by conducting on-site residential surveys, monitoring, and investigations of the Home and Community-based Services (HCS) and Texas Home Living (TxHmL) Medicaid program providers to assess their compliance with state and federal laws and rules. These include investigations into allegations of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The Nurse Surveyor will also investigate medication administration issues. This position offers a competitive starting salary; excellent state benefits, including health insurance and retirement; and the opportunity to regularly travel to different providers within a region and across the state – Please see the Additional Information section below for more detail on travel. In this front-line field position, a Nurse surveyor is mobile and flexible and performs minimal work at an office, though the role does require writing reports detailing deficiencies/violations against a provider, remedies to correct those deficiencies, and narrative to support regulatory determinations. See below for additional professional requirements. The state of Texas offers many benefits to employees. HHSC is a qualifying organization for the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which forgives the remaining balance on college student Direct Loans after making 120 qualifying monthly payments. We also offer excellent health benefits, a lifetime monthly retirement annuity as well as 401(k) and 457 Programs under the Employees Retirement System of Texas.

Requirements

Knowledge, ability, and skill in conducting high-level investigations.
Knowledge of issues, concerns, and needs of populations at risk in various health care environments (elderly, mentally ill, developmentally disabled, functionally dependent, medically frail, etc.).
Knowledge of nursing principles and acceptable professional standards of patient care.
Skilled in conducting investigations to verify regulatory compliance.
Skill in interpersonal relations.
Skill in performing quality assurance monitoring, program review, certification, survey, or investigations.
Skill in providing guidance, policy clarifications, and information to others.
Skill in preparing detailed written reports.
Skill in oral, written, and electronic communications, including computer word processing software.
Ability to interpret and apply policies, procedures, and regulations.
Ability to work independently and make appropriate decisions and regulation-based recommendations.
Ability to operate personal computer-based programs and complete data entry and technically correct, error-free reports.
Ability to multi-task and track multiple activities with competing priorities.
Ability to complete a high-volume, deadline-driven workload.
Ability to exercise professional judgment and reach sound decisions.
Ability to use the computer for writing reports.
Ability to integrate complex regulatory concepts, procedures, and processes.
Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
Ability to effectively present information to executive-level management.
Must be licensed as a registered nurse by the State of Texas or a state that recognizes reciprocity through the Nurse Licensure Compact.
Experience in assessment and documentation of health status.
Two years of experience providing services in a health care setting as a Registered Nurse.
All applicants must pass a fingerprint criminal background check.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with individuals with mental illness, intellectual or developmental disabilities, or physical disabilities preferred.

Responsibilities

Under the direction of a program manager, a Nurse surveyor conducts on-site inspections, complaint and incident investigations, and comprehensive surveys to determine provider compliance with federal and state health and safety regulations. This includes the investigation of abuse, neglect, and exploitation allegations.
Communicates clearly and accurately with others (internally and externally) to provide, exchange, or verify information, answer inquiries, or resolve issues or complaints regarding services provided in the Home and Community-based Services and Texas Home Living Medicaid waiver programs, both of which serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and must receive specialized services that meet their needs.
Conducts exit conferences with program provider staff regarding findings and can assist in developing a plan to correct deficiencies.
Completes inspection or survey reports detailing deficiencies, recommended remedies, and narrative to support regulatory findings.
Visits HCS program providers to verify correction of previously cited regulatory violations.
Performs quality assurance reviews of documents prepared by others, for example, publications, assessments, reports.
Develops and implements training for field investigators.
Might supervise the work of team members during inspections, provide technical assistance to facilities, and lend expertise to a survey team in the areas identified above.
Occasionally might need to testify at hearings or in court proceedings to provide information regarding policy/procedures, history, findings, or activities.