JOB SUMMARY:

Serves as a patient and referral source advocate in providing a smooth transition from an acute or medical setting to Homewood’s skilled nursing center and rehabilitation unit. Responsible for identifying, developing and maintaining key referral source relationships that broaden the referral base. Responsible for assessment of all hospital and medical facility based admissions.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Treats all information about residents, their condition, and family as confidential information.
2. Complies with established Corporate and Departmental policies and procedures, and maintains established standards and practices.
3. Conducts external comprehensive medical assessments of prospective residents within one business day of referral. Determines acceptance based on clinical capabilities of the community and payer verification. Involves travelling to various locations to perform assessments.
4. Assesses patient to ensure eligibility of care to skilled nursing facility. Makes face to face visits with prospective patients to assess current medical and functional abilities, improvement capability, discharge plan, and service delivery plan.
5. Communicates with referral source, patient and family member regarding care options, goals of care, resident opportunities for clinical benefit, and facility programs and services.
6. Has knowledge of and reviews patient’s medical records, disease process, and medications.
7. Communicates health insurance coverage to patient and family, including coverage criteria, benefits, and co-pays.
8. Makes daily in person visits to hospital social worker/discharge planners, hospitalists, physicians’ offices, case managers, hospital clergy, satisfied families and other current and potential hospital referral sources; using sales skills and presentation techniques to obtain targeted number of inquiries, referrals and admissions.
9. Communicates health insurance coverage and medical record of patient to skilled nursing facility.
10. Communicates with Admissions and Marketing Liaison daily to review scheduled admissions, discharges and bed availability.
11. Works with the Admissions and Marketing Liaison to plan and communicate census development while identifying, developing and maintaining key hospital referral sources; creating market visibility through positioning and identifying community needs and trends.
12. Performs other functions as directed by the supervisor.

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Degree in health or related discipline, including nursing, rehabilitation therapy, medical marketing and/or sales, or an LPN or RN.
2. Two years relevant work experience is required, preferably experience in healthcare marketing/sales in rehabilitation, skilled nursing, and hospital based.
3. Must be flexible, self-driven, accountable for results, autonomous, yet team focused co- workers, peers, and subordinates.
4. Maintains a professional, customer-oriented demeanor at all times.
5. A strong background in managed care, sales and marketing, as well as, demonstrated ability to understand and discuss clinical scenarios and medical terminology with clinicians.
6. Must have working knowledge of electronic health records.
7. Possesses management ability including skills in written and verbal communication, good judgment and reasoning and coaching.
8. Has compassion, understanding and empathy for older persons.
9. This position requires most of their time (70% or more) in the field. Must provide own transportation.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Working conditions are normal for an office environment, and an environment where a person conducts business traversing in and out of different community health facilities. Requires extensive work using a computer. This position has physical and mental aspects of sedentary work in which lifting requirements are minimal. Occasionally required to walk; use hands to finger, handle, or operate computers, objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus. May be subject to emotional distress from residents, family members, visitors, etc. and must possess the ability to cope with the stress within the environment.