Patient Care Coordinator/Center Nurse

This is a dual role.

The Patient Care Coordinator will oversee all aspects of coordinating enrollment and acquiring approval for treatment. The PCC will monitor all aspects of new patient care and all required documentation. The PCC will also drive enrollment and attendance through marketing efforts and securing new referral sources.

The Center Nurse is a licensed professional nurse certified with the Arkansas State Board of Nursing. The nurse will collaborate with the Center Director, primary care physicians, therapists and other personnel regarding medical needs of patients.

Summary of Essential Job Functions

Patient Care Coordinator

Enrollment

• Promote Center growth with the overall goal being enrolled to the capacity of the Center
• Follow up on inquiries for potential patients and submitting the initial referral to the Primary Care Physician (PCP) within 24 hours of receipt
• Schedule evaluations for potential patients and receive completed evaluations and treatment plans from therapists
• Submit DMS-640 to patient’s PCP within 24 hours after evaluations are completed
• Ensure copies of the evaluations and treatment plans are forwarded to the parents/guardians and referring Primary Care Physician
• Schedule initial developmental screening process with Optum (or other approved vendor)
• Complete the intake process for enrollment into the Center, including reviewing the Parent/Guardian Handbook with the parent/guardian and completing all required enrollment paperwork
• Maintain the Enrollment Tracker on all patients in the enrollment process and submit the tracker to Center Director, and other designated staff, by the end of the day every Friday
• Maintain potential patient charts from inquiry to enrollment
• Search by the patients’ names before creating a new profile, they may already be in the system
• Ensure all profile information is accurate and up-to-date on all new patients
• Update Patient Frequency for therapy immediately when the new prescription to treat is received
• Close out customers when switching from contingency to EIDT
• Check inbox daily (for example: looking for evaluation notification to update DMS-640)
• Promote daily attendance: the overall daily goal is to be at building capacity but at minimum an average of 85% of patients enrolled in attendance
• Assist the Administrative Assistant with monitoring daily attendance and investigate patient absences
• Ensure that all measures are exhausted when following up on attendance (ex. phone calls, home visits, letters, contact with the Primary Care Physician)
• Report on patients with excessive absences, along with follow-up efforts, during the weekly Administrative Meetings
• Make home visits (with other staff) as needed for various problems such as patient absences, assessment for environmental risk, to obtain required documentation, signatures, etc.
• Maintain an adequate list of community resources and ensure patients and families stay informed of their options
• Assist families with social service forms/paperwork, such as Medicaid, TEFRA, or SSI applications
• Initiate weekly marketing visits and report on outcomes during the weekly Administrative Meeting
• Initiate and maintain relationships with various businesses, professional, social, charitable, public, and private organizations, and doctors’ offices to promote Arkids’ services to the community
• Comfortable speaking with physicians, potential referral sources, and other community members
• Keep in contact with DCFS, as necessary, to monitor on-going services to patients and families at risk
• May assist the Center Director with social media content

Center Nurse

• Maintain organized and updated lists of scheduled and PRN medications for each patient receiving medications at the Center
• Obtain prescribing information from the parent/guardian, physician, or pharmacy
• Complete daily documentation of medications, including dosage, frequency, and route of medications given on the appropriate form
• Include a printout of all possible side effects for all medications
• Monitor patients for drug reactions, documenting appropriately
• Report any adverse reactions to a medication or medication error in administration to the Center Director, Program Administrator, parent/guardian, and primary care physician (PCP)
• Notify parents/guardians when medications need to be refilled
• Ensure all medication, both prescription & over the counter, is double locked in the Center Nurse’s office when unsupervised
• Examine patients in need of medical attention and respond accordingly, making sound decisions based on facts and experience
• If necessary, contact the primary care physician for recommendations
• Document illness or injury requiring medical attention and follow-up with parent/guardian, and PCP if needed, and document follow-up action taken
• Obtain discharge information for patients who have been absent from the Center due to hospitalization, prior to the child returning to the Center, to ensure proper care is given
• Complete a comprehensive nursing intake and gather medical information on all new patients enrolling in the Center, including a signed parent/guardian permission form for any over the counter (OTC) medications
• Complete a comprehensive nursing evaluation, including the prescribed number of nursing units needed per day and the PCP signature, whenever billable nursing services are needed (e.g. tube feedings)
• Develop a medication management plan for all patients with prescribed medication that may be administered at the Center
• Return any unused or out-of-date medications to the parents/guardians. If medication is not picked up by the parent/guardian, it will be disposed of according to recommendations of the US Food & Drug Administration. Two staff members should accompany the medication to any local drop offs & documentation of disposed medications will be kept at the Center.
• Review patient immunization records prior to enrollment & track immunization records on an internal spreadsheet, highlights due dates, noting those potentially out of compliance. Document communication with parents/guardians on the nursing notes and on the Parent/Guardian Communication Form in the front of the immunization section in the patient chart a minimum of weekly. Email the Immunization Tracker to the Center Director a minimum of monthly to review.
• Maintain documentation of Incident/Accident Reports: Immediately communicate with Center Director, or designee, via email or face-to-face when incidents occur and notification to parents/guardians occur. Communication of all incidents will, at a minimum, be reported to the Center Director, or designee, by the end of the day. Turn in all Incident Reports to the Center Director by the end of the day of the Incident for review. Review will be evidenced by initials and date of review.
• Maintain patient emergency information and employee emergency information, updating a minimum of annually
• Maintain the Safety Data Sheet binder: update whenever new products are introduced into the Center, but at a minimum of quarterly
• Familiar with the following nursing duties: feeding tube (feeding, care and maintenance), catheters, breathing treatments, monitoring vital statistics (including diabetes sugar checks, insulin, blood draws, pulse ox), tracheostomy (suctioning and care), assisting ventilator-dependent patients
• Request any orders from the patients’ primary care physician, or specialist, as needed by the Center
• Advocate for referrals to outside specialists and other health personnel as needed
• Maintain an updated list of allergies for each patient at the Center, updating every time a new patient starts with allergies, but a minimum of monthly, indicating a revision date at the bottom of the form
• Complete monthly fire and tornado drills and quarterly earthquake, bomb threat and crisis prevention drills, documenting on the appropriate form
• Assist with New Employee Orientation
• Review all medical records received and distribute to appropriate personnel, interpreting clinical data to identify patient risks (actual and potential)
• Complete nursing supply order by the 3rd week of the month when medical equipment/supplies need to be ordered and stock when delivered
• Maintain oxygen tank
• Complete monthly Center inspections
• Assist with weekly Center inspections
• Maintain first aid kits in all locations of the Center and checks them monthly, initially the tag
• Maintain daily temperature checks on the refrigerator containing medications
• Work with the audiologist to complete and track required hearing screenings
• Ensure medical documentation is completed and in compliance with regulatory agencies and standards as established by the Center
• Ensure the nursing notes are charted on all tasks, follow-ups, conversations with parents/guardians, etc.
• Maintain confidentiality of patients and staff at all times
• Communicate with the Center Director on all nursing/medical needs
• Communicate with appropriate staff when children are being sent home and/or cannot return due to minimum licensing standards
• Promote continuity, consistency, and expediency of care to patients and families
• Serve as a resource for Center Staff in areas of primary health care, infection control, disease processes and emergency procedures
• Perform staff in-services, as needed, when recommended by the Center Director, on topics related to nursing/health/safety
• Complete all nursing notes and billing by the end of the shift on the day the event/incident/service occurred
• Assist with covering classroom staff lunch breaks or fill in for the Administrative Assistant
• May assist with CPR training for all staff, if certified as an instructor
• May assist with loading/unloading vans
• Assist with light housekeeping duties
• Other duties as assigned

Minimum requirements

• Must be a graduate of an accredited school or vocational nursing
• Must be (currently) licensed in the state of Arkansas
• Five (5) years of experience in Early Childhood Education or children with special needs preferred
• Clear Criminal Record Check, Arkansas Child & Adult Maltreatment Regulatory Checks, FBI Regulatory Check, including National Sex Offender Registry
• Pass a drug screen (upon hire, annually, and/or randomly)
• Ability to communicate effectively with co-workers and supervisors
• Ability to work with children
• Ability to handle multiple tasks in a very busy environment
• Ability to carry out instructions
• Ability to clean efficiently and timely
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs
• Ability to bend, stoop, stand, walk, pull, and reach for several hours per day
• Ability to demonstrate basic computer skills

*Paid time off, Medical, Vision, Dental, Life Insurance, supplemental insurances, 401K*