Patient Flow Coordinator

Education: High School Diploma or Graduate from an accredited school of vocational nursing or licensed practical nursing required

(LVNs) Licenses/Certifications:

• Current State of Texas license or temporary/compact license to practice as a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) required

• Additional certifications may be required based on discipline and /or nursing unit requirements

Experience / Knowledge / Skills:

• Minimum of one (1) year experience in a medical/acute hospital setting required; patient placement experience preferred.

• Ability to type on a computer.

• Effective communication (oral/written) skills.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities of equal importance in a fast pace environment.

• Excellent customer service skills.

• Demonstrate ability to quickly adjust to change.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Uses critical thinking and sound judgment in directing patients to the most appropriate level of care and unit assignment and ensures accurate and complete communication with all areas across the system.

• Utilizes appropriate tools and technology to monitor and promote continuous patient movement.

• Maintains knowledge of systemwide dashboards to monitor capacity, open/dirty/closed rooms, throughput bottlenecks, and isolation status.

• Answers incoming calls and collects divert status, patient bedding information, order changes in level of care, patient status changes.

• Organizes placement process to meet patient load influx and eliminates bed assignment delays.

• Utilizes the bed board to identify open and available rooms for bedding patients. Maintains current knowledge of each facility unit nuance grids to ensure appropriate placement of patients based on capability and level of care.

• Monitors all patient placement and progression functions in a responsive manner responding to all callers with the aid of the electronic health record, approved clinical protocols, and established patient care protocols and healthcare information, in partnership with patient placement RN.

• Consults as needed with patient placement RN  for an initial triage to assist in determining appropriate level of care for managing patient placement.

• Works with all Memorial Hermann hospital teams and key stakeholders on leading and facilitating efficient, timely placement of patients across the system.

• Uses available tracking systems to maintain ongoing surveillance of available staffed beds. Monitors progress with bed assignments and arrivals of patients to assigned units; monitors for timeliness of transfers and discharges.

• Enters and thoroughly updates patient and operational data into various database systems in a timely fashion with a high level of accuracy

• Incorporates knowledge of hospital and unit admission criteria, unit specialties, limitations, and patient need when determining proper patient placement.

• Participates in daily bed meetings where appropriate.

• Alerts department leadership of delays with patient flow for individual patients and departments experiencing delays.

• Ensures safe care to patients, staff and visitors; adheres to all Memorial Hermann policies, procedures, and standards within budgetary specifications including time management, supply management, productivity and quality of service.

• Promotes individual professional growth and development by meeting requirements for mandatory/continuing education and skills competency; supports department-based goals which contribute to the success of the organization; serves as preceptor, mentor and resource to less experienced staff.

• Demonstrates commitment to caring for every member of our community by creating compassionate and personalized experiences. Models Memorial Hermann’s service standards of providing safe, caring, personalized and efficient experiences to patients and our workforce.

• Other duties as assigned.