Team Manager Home Care

VITAS Healthcare•Saint Louis, MO

About The Position

The Team Manager leads the Patient Care Team, supervising, evaluating, and coordinating its interdisciplinary members. The role ensures continuity of care from admission through discharge, transfer, or bereavement; advocates for patients and coordinates with community social-service and health-care providers; and maintains patient records from intake through discharge or transfer. The Team Manager directs the team’s patient-care services, including volunteer and bereavement services, and ensures they are integrated into the interdisciplinary plan of care. The role reviews admissions, discharges, and recertification information; collaborates with physicians on palliative pain and symptom management; monitors the appropriateness of services and resource use; manages team schedules and 24/7 service coordination; facilitates care-planning meetings; and participates in the on-call rotation. The position interviews, selects, trains, supervises, evaluates, and may dismiss staff in conjunction with the Patient Care Administrator. It supports staff competence and performance, manages staff and volunteer schedules and assignments, and reviews and approves payroll. The Team Manager monitors clinical records and team activities for quality and regulatory compliance, conducts chart and utilization reviews, develops and implements quality-improvement measures, and participates in outcomes management and program reviews. The role also addresses patient, family, physician, and payer service concerns; works to resolve service failures and prevent avoidable revocations; visits long-term-care and contract-bed facilities; contributes to customer education and community organizations; oversees patient-care costs and productivity; approves patient-care invoices; and pursues professional development and mentoring.

Requirements

Reliable transportation and an appropriate driver’s license and insurance coverage for the driver and passengers.
Private telephone in the home.
Knowledge of primary medical and nursing care principles and practices, including working knowledge of oncologic nursing and palliative care.
Basic understanding of interpersonal dynamics within an interdisciplinary health-care team.
Knowledge of the process of dying and bereavement.
Working knowledge of the VITAS information system (Vx) and ability to use management reports.
Two years of successful supervisory experience or equivalent experience in a health-care organization.
Current and valid R.N. license to practice in the state where the VITAS program is located.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead, supervise, evaluate, and coordinate the interdisciplinary Patient Care Team.
Ensure continuity of care from admission through discharge, transfer, or bereavement, and maintain patient records throughout that process.
Direct patient-care services, including volunteer and bereavement services, and ensure they are integrated into the plan of care.
Review pending and new admissions, assessments, histories, discharges, and recertification documentation to ensure eligibility, appropriateness, completeness, and timeliness.
Collaborate with team and attending physicians on palliative pain and symptom management.
Review imminent live discharges and ensure effective discharge planning.
Monitor service types and levels to ensure they meet patient and family needs and expectations.
Manage team schedules and coordinate services for patients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Facilitate team meetings and interdisciplinary updates and revisions to plans of care.
Participate in the on-call rotation.
Interview, select, train, supervise, evaluate, and dismiss team staff in conjunction with the Patient Care Administrator.
Support staff competence and performance through field visits, documentation review, in-services, mentoring, and clinical and operational guidance.
Oversee staff and volunteer schedules, territory assignments, and equitable workload distribution.
Review and approve payroll, including verification of time, mileage, and additional expenses.
Monitor clinical records and team activities for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with VITAS policies and regulatory requirements.
Develop and implement performance-improvement activities and quality-improvement measures; ensure patient and family satisfaction surveys are completed.
Assist with regulatory surveys and requests, conduct substantive chart reviews, and participate in outcomes management and annual program review.
Perform utilization reviews of continuous-care and inpatient levels of care.
Resolve patient, family, physician, and payer problems, grievances, and service failures; analyze issues and improve team performance.
Speak with patients, families, and attending physicians when a patient is considering revocation to seek satisfactory alternatives.
Visit long-term-care and contract-bed facilities to support care-plan integration, customer satisfaction, and appropriate-care discussions.
Provide in-services to customers and participate in professional, voluntary, or community service organizations.
Verify and approve admitting IPOC diagnoses, treatments, staffing, and supplies; monitor patient resource utilization and cost-effective service delivery.
Manage and remain accountable for productivity, labor, and patient-care costs against budget; approve patient-care bills and invoices.
Attend educational activities, develop professional growth goals, and mentor newly hired Team Managers.