Occupational Therapist (OT) - Acute Care Pool

Advocate Health•Oshkosh, WI

7d•$38 - $57

About The Position

The Occupational Therapist works in acute care rehabilitation, interpreting physician referrals and evaluating patients’ physical, perceptual, cognitive, social, and vocational abilities and how these affect activities of daily living. The therapist develops and implements individualized plans of care, provides or fabricates assistive devices and splints, monitors outcomes, adjusts treatment, and communicates patient status to physicians and other teammates. The role includes planning and completing patient discharges, providing home programs and patient or family education, coordinating community referrals and transitions of care, and ordering appropriate equipment. The therapist completes required clinical and administrative documentation, maintains productivity standards, applies insurance authorization guidelines, and follows billing and documentation policies. The therapist helps maintain a safe, orderly treatment area; uses appropriate equipment and modalities; and follows safety and infection-control measures. The position also involves quality improvement, caseload and coverage coordination, continuing professional development, and, when applicable, orientation or supervision of assistants, aides, extenders, or students.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from an accredited school, or educational requirements commensurate with the date of graduation.
Maintain continuing education requirements mandated by applicable state professional standards.
Licensed Occupational Therapist in the state where employed.
Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers certification from the American Heart Association, obtained within 90 days unless the department leader determines it is not required.
Intermediate computer skills.
Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
Demonstrated organization, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
Successfully complete competency assessments and requirements for patient care consistent with site standards.
Maintain annual educational requirements for hospital-based certifications, such as DNV or CARF, as applicable.
Demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide age-appropriate care, including understanding growth and development across the lifespan and assessing and interpreting information relevant to patients’ age-specific needs.
Ability to sit, stand, walk, lift, and squat throughout the workday.
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. from floor to waist; lift up to 10 lbs. from waist to overhead; and lift and carry up to 40 lbs. at waist height a reasonable distance.
Ability to push or pull with 30 lbs. of force and perform a sliding transfer of 150 lbs. with a second person present.
Ability to perform repetitive hand use, including simple grasping of 5–15 lbs. for 20% of the workday, pushing or pulling up to 75–100 lbs. for 10% of the day, and fine hand manipulation during massage and joint mobilization.
Functional use of senses to allow effective communication.
Ability to wear protective clothing as needed due to exposure to electrical and chemical hazards and blood and body fluids.
Ability to travel if required, with possible exposure to road and weather hazards.
Ability to operate all equipment necessary to perform the job.

Responsibilities

Interpret physician referrals and evaluate patients’ physical, perceptual, cognitive, social, and vocational abilities and their effect on activities of daily living.
Establish and implement individualized plans of care using evaluation results, functional goals, and appropriate treatment techniques.
Provide or fabricate assistive devices and splints to improve functional independence.
Monitor and evaluate outcomes, adjust treatment plans based on patient response, and update physicians and teammates on patient status.
Identify and address factors affecting patients’ physical and psychosocial comfort.
Plan and complete patient discharges, including home programs, patient and family education, community-service referrals, care transitions, and equipment orders as appropriate.
Communicate and collaborate with stakeholders to support optimal patient care.
Complete required evaluations, progress notes, team conference reports, discharge summaries, and other documentation in accordance with department policies and accreditation standards.
Record patient care and progress; complete daily statistics, billing, and scheduling; apply insurance authorization and visit guidelines; and meet productivity standards.
Follow billing and documentation policies, procedures, and timelines.
Clean the treatment area, put away equipment, and keep the area neat and orderly.
Perform manual techniques, patient positioning, transfers, and transport, using proper techniques and required lifting or pushing and pulling.
Use available modalities, exercise equipment, and other devices according to department orientation and demonstrate knowledge of their indications and contraindications.
Promote patient safety and follow applicable safety and infection-control measures.
Participate in performance-improvement activities to address problems affecting patient outcomes and care quality.
Manage the assigned caseload, communicate coverage needs and availability to site leadership, and assist with coverage according to department and regional needs.
Pursue professional growth through continuing education, department in-services, and professional literature.
Orient new staff to clinical and department policies and provide requested verbal or written feedback in coworker evaluations.
May supervise occupational therapy assistants, delegate patients to assistive personnel, and provide direction and ongoing supervision while retaining responsibility for the plan of care and goals.
May supervise occupational therapy extenders and teach them appropriate patient-specific techniques.
May supervise occupational therapy students after completing one year of clinical experience.

Benefits

Paid Time Off programs
Medical, dental, vision, life, and short- and long-term disability benefits
Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
Adoption assistance and paid parental leave
Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs
Educational Assistance Program
Premium pay, such as shift or on-call pay, based on the teammate’s job
Incentive pay for select positions
Opportunity for annual increases based on performance
Pool premium of $3.25