The Bed Management Coordinator is responsible for all activities related to Bed Management including, but not limited to, coordinating the patient placement, access case management, and the patient flow required to provide appropriate, effective and efficient patient care. The Bed Management Coordinator is empowered to remove barriers and bottlenecks related to patient placement and flow. Notifies and communicates with Patient Progression, Nurse Managers, Administrative Supervisors, Physicians, Physicians on Call, and Administrator on Call when appropriate.
- Uses clinical expertise to coordinate the placement of elective and emergent admissions as well as transfers from other facilities in accordance with clinical standards and guidelines ensuring that all patients are admitted or transferred to the most appropriate available bed.
- Clinically knowledgeable of disease entities, epidemiological issues, and circumstances that have implications for the placement of patients.
- Assured communication and implementation of the Bed Management plan for the day as defined at the daily bed meeting to the patient placement staff and all patient care areas, physicians, senior leadership and operations departments as needed.
- Collaborates with Patient Progression in development of the daily Bed Management plan to allow the plan to be communicated to the Administrative Supervisors and leaders on all shifts in order to assure continued implementation and focus on the day`s plan.
- Reviews patients` conditions as necessary, independently, or in conjunction with case management staff, ED, Administrative Supervisor, or charge nurse to ensure appropriate placement for required services.
- Tracks bed availability, maintaining appropriate logs/records.
- Works directly with Plant Ops and Environmental Services on daily Room of the Day and/or Unit of the Day closures and the impacts on available capacity.
- Direct oversight of the Daily Census Bed Reports throughout the day.
- Collaborate with Patient Progression and participate as needed in walking rounds on all nursing units to identify and discuss barriers to discharge, build relationships with staff, and educate staff to the role of the Bed Management Coordinator.
- Monitors bed availability on all nursing units as well as pending discharges assessing the ability to meet the ADT needs of the cath lab, ED, PACU, and direct admissions.
- Acts as a resource to Bed Management clerical team members as to the type of patient that each unit can accept and the type of equipment or medications that can be used or given on each unit, using policies and procedures as a guide.
- Makes recommendations to the Manager of Bed Management for closing or downsizing units and manages the transfer of patients from the ED/PACU or direct admits when an overflow unit is opened ensuring that patients are admitted in a controlled manner.
- Regularly communicates with and provides status reports to the Manager of Bed Management regarding impending surge, operating room holds, or cath lab delays. Calls additional bed meetings as needed.
- Monitor ED throughput and dispositions, and escalate to Patient Progression as needed to assist with resolving delays and barriers.
- Monitors inpatient encounters for discharge orders to assist with identifying future opportunities for bed placement throughout the day.
- Updates accommodation codes when appropriate (e.g. CDU, MED) to support accurate claims submissions.
- Plans, organizes and prioritizes tasks to meet critical deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Utilizes technology to maintain accurate files and reports, and to prepare and analyze data.
- Demonstrates ability to work with others to achieve and support the mission of the medical center.
- Demonstrates accountability for the professional development of self and peers, through formal and informal education and evaluation in collaboration with Learning and Performance.
- Demonstrates effective communication skills to reduce barriers to communication for all staff.
- Interact with customers via phone, electronic communication (e.g. email, chat, text messaging), and face to face.
- Executes bed management functions on multiple hospital computer systems to assign beds in accordance with all applicable policies, protocols, medical board rulings, and overall philosophy of the medical center.
- Prioritizes admission sources (i.e. cath lab, ED, PACU, transfer center) to minimize delays and enhance patient flow.
- Prepare and distribute, as needed, the census report and other documents.
- Monitors blocked beds and collaborates with the Manager of Bed Management to ensure beds are not blocked unnecessarily. Appropriately assigns private rooms to minimize the need to block beds.
- Collaborates with the Manager of Bed Management to facilitate internal bed requests to mitigate delays in ensuring the patient is located in the appropriate: level of care, nursing unit type, and preferred room type.
- Communicates with patient care units and outside stakeholders (e.g. physicians offices, patient & family members) to communicate individual bed plans and status updates.
- Prepares and provides real-time capacity status of the medical center on demand as requested (e.g. disaster response).
- Demonstrates the standards of behavior in accordance with the policies, goals, and mission of the medical center.
- Utilizes all downtime procedures when indicated.
- Recognizes and responds to opportunities to promote and market JSUMC and HMH.
- Works directly with the transfer center to answer phone calls and coordinate communications as requested.
- As directed, prepare and present data and information on behalf of the Bed Management department.
- Demonstrates strong problem solving skills while making clear decisions in a fast-paced environment. Demonstrates effective time management skills.
- Demonstrates active listening skills to accurately interpret and respond to inquiries.
- Provides superior customer service for all types of interactions by maintaining a positive, friendly, and pleasant attitude at all times. Demonstrates exceptional interpersonal skills. Improves a customer`s experience by minimizing hold time and speaking clearly and confidently without hesitation.
- Keeps customers informed regarding updates on requests until resolution is achieved.
- Demonstrates a team-focused and collaborative attitude in which it is clear that there is a willingness to support the department`s goals and vision.
- Demonstrates a willingness to work flexible hours as needed to ensure 24/7/365 service to the medical center.
- Develops individual goals that align with the department`s and organization`s goals.
- Other duties and/or projects as assigned.
- Adheres to HMH Organizational competencies and standards of behavior.