PURPOSE AND SCOPE: Supports FMCNA’s mission, vision, core values and customer
service philosophy. Adheres to the FMCNA Compliance Program, including
following all regulatory and FMS policy requirements. Utilizes in-depth
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. 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 for 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. Maintains communication with Pre-ESRD and ESRD
(collectively renal) patients, physicians treating those patients (e.g.
nephrologists, hospitalists, intensivists, et. al), discharge planners,
hospital staff, community resources, educational professionals, etc. to ensure
service satisfaction. Develops and maintains data for metric/performance
reporting to the hospitals serviced and FMS Management. Position is primarily
based in a hospital, hospital system, or group of unaffiliated hospitals. The
position may or may not involve work with an FMCNA affiliated Acute Program.
DUTIES / ACTIVITIES : CUSTOMER SERVICE: Responsible for driving the FMS
culture through values and customer service standards. Accountable for
outstanding customer service to all external and internal customers. Develops
and maintains effective relationships through effective and timely
communication. Takes the initiative and action to respond, resolve and follow
up regarding customer service issues with all customers in a timely manner.
PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES Leverages 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. Facilitates the placement of in-patient dialysis patients into the
out-patient setting by: - Using detailed 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. - Coordinating with the patient and discharge
planners to identify appropriate placement for outpatient services according
to the individual patient preferences; physician orders; vacancy rates and
capacity of outpatient dialysis facilities within the market. - Working
closely with appropriate hospital staff/partners and contractors to ensure
hospital directives; patient requests; and physician orders are addressed
appropriately - Collaborating with outpatient dialysis staff and hospital
staff/partners and contractors to resolve issues relating to the placement of
patients into the outpatient setting. Focuses 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 – such as determining whether the patient
requires/requests in-center, nocturnal or home dialysis. - Establishing
whether there is a need for a vascular access assessment and placement. -
Intervening early into the hospital admissions 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. Assesses the needs of
the hospital for other outpatient services responding to related questions and
making suggestions as to how Fresenius can address these needs. Facilitates
and coordinates the provision of these other renal services for pre-ESRD and
ESRD patients collaborating with the appropriate clinicians to provide
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. Assesses related
customer service issues and complaints regarding service levels reported by
the hospital. Initiates and coordinates the appropriate interventions and
action plans to respond, resolve and follow up, involving the participation of
Fresenius ( including but not limited to Financial Coordinators, Market
Development staff and TOPS Specialists) and non-Fresenius staff such as to
accomplish this. Develops and maintains an in-depth 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. Maintains extensive knowledge of the support services and options
provided within the community to ensure facilitation of outpatient dialysis
services is not delayed. Collaborates 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. Collects and maintains a database
of various metrics. Performs trend analyses and identifies anomalies or
discrepancies providing applicable reports and observations to both hospital
and FMS management to determine process improvements and to allow FMS
Management to consider and discuss returns on investment with hospital.
Metrics administered by HSS include but are not limited to: - Statistics
related to program performance such as number of discharges to Fresenius vs
Non Fresenius locations; controllable vs. non-controllable delays; readmission
rates/repeat admissions, length of stay; education referrals; and nephrology
or vascular access referrals. - Identifying and reporting 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. Participates in regular meetings with the pertinent
hospital management and staff to ascertain hospital’s satisfaction with the
program and service level. - Identifies and addresses 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; - Identifies process improvements to the outpatient placement
process and collaborates with appropriate management and affected parties to
implement the process improvements. Collaborates 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. Coordinates such education as defined within the contract governing
the HSS services (e.g. modality education; vascular access education, basic
dialysis insurance etc.). May educate patients directly if experience and
qualifications meets education criteria. May be assigned to Patient Services
Specialist duties during low census periods within acute programs. Other
duties as assigned. Addendum: For acute contracts designed with risk sharing
between FMCNA and the Hospital, the HSS will focus primarily on the support of
the acute program and reduction of acute therapies and readmissions. In cases
of risk sharing, the HSS may perform all of the above functions with the focus
on facilitating discharge placements of hospital inpatient dialysis patients.
These placements may be to any outpatient dialysis facility or only to FMCNA
locations. May work with a Renal Inpatient Case Manager (RICM) to facilitate
the outpatient placement. In cases where both an HSS and RICM service a
hospital, the HSS and RICM will collaborate to decrease the length of stay and
readmission rates. The HSS focus will be primarily on the non-clinical, renal
related discharge coordination functions while the RICM will be focused on the
clinical care of the patient while in the in-patient setting and coordination
of the appropriate clinical care, education and interventions post discharge
to decrease readmission rates. PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING CONDITIONS: The
physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are
representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential
functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable
individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Position
requires significant periods of standing and walking between various hospital
departments and patient care floors. Potential for travel between hospital
settings for assignments covering multiple hospitals and/or significant travel
within an assigned geography/region, particularly if performing Patient
Services Specialist duties. EDUCATION: Bachelor degree with concentration in
business or Marketing OR Bachelors or Masters prepared Social Worker OR RN or
LVN/LPN Degree with a minimum of 3 years as practitioner with concentration in
discharge planning Associates degree plus 2 years Healthcare experience, sales
and marketing experience preferred, in lieu of degree OR 5+ years Healthcare
experience, sales and marketing experience preferred, in lieu of degree.
EXPERIENCE AND REQUIRED SKILLS: Prior experience with discharge facilitation
preferred. Experience dependent on education level described above under
education heading. Excellent communication skills – written and verbal – with
ability to communicate to all levels of personnel. Excellent customer service,
communication, organizational, time management and interpersonal skills
required. Detail oriented. Strong computer skills with sound working knowledge
of Microsoft Office applications – Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Lotus Notes.
Ability to learn new IS/IT systems required. Completion of and compliance with
the 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. ***This
position involves admissions/discharge planning***