Director Of Palliative Care

Description

Become part of an inclusive organization with over 40,000 diverse employees, whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of the unique communities we serve.

Summary:

This individual is responsible for the administrative and operational leadership of palliative care services provided in the community, inpatient and outpatient settings. The scope of work includes but is not limited to strategic growth and advocacy of the palliative care program, promotion of holistic care for patients and families, direction of quality improvement efforts and patient/family experience, management of palliative care staff, timeliness and effectiveness of care delivery, effective resource utilization and compliance, and budgeting and financial oversight. Close collaboration with palliative care interdisciplinary team members in all efforts will be essential. This position reports to the System Vice President for Continuing Care Services with a matrix reporting to the Medical Director(s) for Palliative Care.

Responsibilities:

• Clinical/Quality-Organizes regular IDT meetings to discuss and review patient care strategy, team structure, and clinical data tracking and reporting-Participates and provides clinical leadership in development and review of clinical protocols for community and hospital based settings-Coordinates and participates in quality assurance and peer review programs, including compliance with and implementation of any resulting recommendations-Directs quality improvement efforts-Ensures a culture of continuous improvement by regular monitoring of clinical quality, regulatory compliance, risk management and performance improvement activities-Ensures integration of clinical services with other UNCHCS programs (e.g., home health, hospice, SNF network, population health services and others as appropriate)-Identifies and implements opportunities to improve patient and family experience of care

• Program Growth, Marketing and Communications-Develops and executes strategies and approaches to grow the palliative care program including marketing, communications and new infrastructures/resources

• In collaboration with Medical Director(s), promotes and advocates for palliative care services to support objectives related to program growth and impact-Develops and supports health professional training programs for palliative care-Develops and executes marketing and outreach campaigns to physicians, community stakeholders, healthcare facilities/administrators and other applicable organizations and individuals in the community to promote the program-Builds effective relationships with referral sources and physicians to ensure excellent team follow-up regarding patient referrals and create a culture of collaboration-Develops fund raising programs in collaboration with UNCHCS foundation and development offices-Develops and distributes marketing materials / collateral, including website development-Develops patient and family educational materials

• Operational-Designs patient-centered workflows to ensure timely access, convenience and customer-friendly operations-Develops efficient workflows for scheduling (including travel for community based), clinical documentation, care management, phone triage, and other operational needs-Develops performance metrics, sets goals with the team and executive leadership, and monitors progress through regular reporting to demonstrate program impact

• Administers patient satisfaction surveys; addresses complaints / concerns of patients and families-Optimizes use of technology by developing Epic templates and functionality and assessing additional technologies to support operations (e.g., x-rays in the home, scheduling mapping software, telemedicine, secure texting)-Develops training materials and tip sheets for the team-Negotiates and executes internal contracts related to program staffing and funds flow-Develops external vendor relationships and contracts to support program needs as applicable-Ensures compliance with Joint Commission and other regulatory standards

• Coordinates program needs across organizational entities and departments

• Human Resources-Oversees hiring of palliative care team members; participates in all hiring decisions along with other program leadership-Provides continuity, support, feedback and problem resolution for all members of the palliative care team, to promote a healthy work environment and atmosphere-Supervises palliative care support staff and IDT members as appropriate including social workers, chaplains, and nurses-Meets yearly and ad hoc with each faculty and team member to receive their feedback about the service and for providing positive and constructive feedback to them; Completes annual performance evaluations for direct reports-Develops staffing plans based on productivity management system including job descriptions (with Human Resources), qualifications and licensure requirements

• Financial

• Prepares and monitors annual budget including capital expense, operational expense and revenue-Develops processes to create single palliative care budget view across UNCHCS entities and departments-Regularly reviews financial and operational impact of palliative care program including presentations for executive review-Manages revenue cycle, assesses growth and payer mix vs. targeted markets, develops strategies to improve reimbursement, provides billing training for IDT, and ensures compliance for billing activities-Identifies opportunities for cost savings, increased growth and improved financial impact

• Leadership-Acts as an advocate for support of palliative care program internally and externally-Collaborates closely with palliative care interdisciplinary team members in all efforts

• Leads and facilitates regular team meetings for the clinical, operational and administrative functions-Leads the annual strategic review and planning process for palliative care program-Identifies educational needs of staff and develops effective educational strategies-Maintains communication with internal and external stakeholders-Develops and maintains effective working relationships with staff, other departments, UNCHCS administration/leadership/executives and community organizations to promote positive image, heighten awareness, and promote collaboration.

Qualifications

Education Requirements:

Master's Degree in Health Care (clinical or administrative) or Business related field required Graduation from either: (i) a state accredited school of professional nursing with a Bachelor's degree in Nursing or (ii) a state accredited school of social work with a Master's degree and LCSW in social work required or (iii) Master's Degree form an accredited school for Physician's Assistant.

Licensure/Certification Requirements:

Current state licensure and in good standing with licensure board or eligible for licensure as required

• For nursing

• North Carolina Board of Nursing as RN-For Social Work North Carolina Social Work Certification and Licensure Board as LCSW. For a Physician Assistant, a PA National Certification and Licensure from the NC Medical Board.

Professional Experience Requirements:

At least five (5) years of clinical experience, with some in the acute care setting and some in home-based settings, and at least one (1) year palliative or hospice care experience required.

At least 1 year of management or administrative experience required.

Job Details

Legal Employer: STATE

Entity: UNC Medical Center

Organization Unit: UNCH Palliative Care Services

Work Type: Full Time

Standard Hours Per Week: 40.00

Work Assignment Type: Onsite

Work Schedule: Day Job

Location of Job: US:NC: Morrisville

Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: Yes

This is a State position employed by UNC Health Care System.

Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

UNC Health makes reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as applicants and employees with disabilities. All interested applicants are invited to apply for career opportunities. Please email applicant.accommodations@unchealth.unc.edu if you need a reasonable accommodation to search and/or to apply for a career opportunity.