Tracking Code
2023-16381
Position Type
Part-Time
Shift
Day
Job Location
Springfield, Illinois
Description
The Transfer Center Specialist coordinates patient placement activities for the Memorial Health Transfer Center. Partners with physicians, nursing staff, the Emergency department, all perioperative and procedural areas & other departments throughout the health system to move patients along the continuum of care to optimize throughput for Decatur Memorial, Jacksonville Memorial and Springfield Memorial Hospitals. In this role, the transfer center specialist continually assesses and assigns patients to the appropriate bed based on location, diagnosis, level of care, and other patient attributes to ensure optimal patient safety. Collaborates with Environmental Services for prioritization of bed turnover based on overall patient placement needs. Communicates with the Nursing Administrative Supervisor to facilitate placement of emergent patients. Supports the day to day throughput needs by efficiently managing all transfer center requests and assigning patients in a timely manner.
Part-Time [06:45AM - 07:15PM]
Required Skills
- Receives patient transfer requests from outside hospitals, physicians’ offices, Emergency Department, perioperative areas, cardiovascular services, and nursing units and obtains all information pertinent to assessing bed placement abilities for each hospital.
- Understands and maintains knowledge of each hospitals unit specialties and bed capacity to support throughput.
- Makes bed assignment decisions to ensure timely placement of patients. Works collaboratively with nursing units, ED, periop, and cardiovascular services to decrease barriers to throughput. Immediately notifies the appropriate Administrative Nursing Supervisor of potential complications or delays in patient throughput.
- Identifies vacated beds through continuous monitoring of the bed board. Addresses blocked bed status with the appropriate department (engineering, EVS, nursing unit) and collaborates with clinical colleagues and leaders to get beds reopened.
- Assesses bed cleaning priority levels and upgrades as required (e.g., STAT, Clean next, Dirty) to support patient throughput. Ensures that STAT and Clean Next requests receive timely response from housekeeping staff. Escalates any bed cleaning delay to Environmental Services supervisor.
- Updates and maintains electronic systems with changes to pertinent patient information including level of care, admission status, change in physicians and DRGs to support appropriate documentation of patient charges.
- Works collaboratively with all members of the Memorial Health Transfer Center team to optimize throughput and placement opportunities for patients across the health system.
- Communicates via phone, Halo, and other communication methods to support patient throughput across the system.
- Continually assesses transfer center processes and provides insights and recommendations to leadership for process improvement. Serves as subject matter expert for patient placement and quality improvement projects.
- Supports the Memorial Health Transfer Center RN with requests from outlying facilities by completing the intake process.
- Understands hospital, department, and Joint Commission policies and procedures related to patient placement.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Required Experience
Education:
· High school diploma or equivalent required.
Experience:
· 6 months – 1 year of patient-related clerical or customer service experience required.
· Medical terminology, medical office or registration experience is required.
· Hospital experience preferred.
Other Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:
· Ability to work in a fast paced environment with a positive attitude
· Must be able to simultaneously take direction from multiple people, manage multiple complex activities and prioritize tasks.
· Self-directed and able to take the initiative to proactively solve problems.
· Flexibility to work in an environment of constantly changing priorities and work volume.
· Demonstrated excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
· Demonstrated ability to work independently.
· Basic working knowledge of personal computers and Microsoft Office products required.