Bed Control Coordinator

GENERAL SUMMARY: Bed coordinator tracks, performs and enforces all activities which involve the placement and movement of patients and helps to monitor efficient transfers and discharges.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Assigns ED, PACU and other patients to beds based on care requirements and for maximizing the use of hospital bed resources appropriate for care.

• Assign beds by physician, nursing and patient preference and care type criteria.

• Assigns hospital beds based on bed availability balancing with direct admits, hospital procedures and Emergency Room admissions.

• Monitors bed board of patients and notifies supervisor and nursing staff of changes in bed status at the start of the shift and throughout the day

• Monitors and updates bed blocks

• Transfers patients in-house as needed, ensuring that critical transfers are given priority and while following hospital procedure

• Processes requests from physicians, clinics and hospitals to schedule an admission, obtain demographic information and communication to the physician offices of the rooms assigned for the incoming patients, contacts any referring facilities with the notification of rooms assigned in order to expedite the transfer of patients to our facility;

• Works with EVS prioritizing the need for rooms to be cleaned and works with EVS to efficiently place patients in beds

• Informs the Nursing Administrator and Hospitalist of any anticipated and/or actual issues/problems

• Provides training to other Patient Access Staff on bed control responsibilities.

• Processes death paperwork in conjunction with MD's, NEOB and Funeral Homes. Releases bodies from the morgue. And sends paperwork to the state.

• Acts as an Epic resource across departments/units-providing assistance and training as needed to both clinical and non-clinical staff.

• Performs Area Census as needed.

• Completing bed control worksheets and hand-off sheets accurately.

COLLABORATION/COMMUNICATION

• Works collaboratively and closely with the Nursing Administrators and Hospitalist

• Communicates anticipated staffing needs to nursing based on hospital census.

• Works closely with the Emergency Room, Nursing, Case Management and Environmental Services regarding utilization management and review of beds

• Follows up in the Emergency Room on admitted patients to ensure they are moved swiftly onto the floors.

• Communicates with nursing staff during increasing or decreasing periods of patient activity

• Frequent communication with staff to audit bed occupancy

• Pages information to multiple staff as needed - direct admits, ED Boarders, ER to OR patients

• Responsible for registration of direct admissions

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• High School diploma required Must have recent experience in a healthcare setting, familiarity with medical terminology and computer skills.

• Discretion and effective decision making is required within the scope of the position's responsibilities

• Provides excellent internal and external customer service

• Employs a high degree of skill in all oral and written communications and personal interactions.

• Maintains a calm, rational, professional demeanor when dealing with others, even in situations involving conflict or crisis

• Maintain positive, collaborative interactions with physicians, charge nurses, staff members, etc. to determine the needs of the facility

• Tactfully handles difficult situations

• Handled calls professionally and consistently with courtesy

• Accepts telephone calls and routes calls appropriately

• Performs well under pressure

• Consistently is attentive to detail, record-keeping and required paperwork inherent to the position

• Participates in performance improvement activities, including data collection and evaluation criteria on projects such as OBA and Healthcare Proxies.

• Consistently communicates with Nursing Administrator to ensure appropriate unit/bed placement and isolation requirements

• Complete patient placement in Epic ensuring accurately identifying isolation precautions.

• Demonstrates ability to use multiple systems with bed placement including Epic Bed Planning, Chart Review, EVS, OnServiceMD, Mass MD Board.