Director Of Patient Care Services

JOB SUMMARY: The Director of Patient Care Services (DPCS) is responsible for the overall direction of hospice clinical services. The DPCS establishes, implements and evaluates goals and objectives for hospice services that meet and promote the standards of quality and contribute to the total organization and philosophy.

Qualifications

REQUIRED EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

Must be a registered nurse in the state, with current licensure to practice professional nursing

Must possess a bachelors degree in Nursing from an accredited program by the National League for Nursing; masters degree preferred

Must have three (3) years of management experience, in a hospice or related health care organization preferred

Must meet state and federal requirements for the position

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

Must demonstrate an ability to supervise and direct professional and administrative personnel

Must possess an ability to market and deal tactfully with customers and the community

Must possess excellent observation, verbal and written communication skills

Must possess knowledge of business management, governmental regulations and CHAP standards

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

Must be flexible in work hours

Must possess a willingness to maintain comprehensive working knowledge regarding information systems and applicable software programs

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Coordinate and oversee all direct and indirect patient services provided by clinical organization personnel

Provide guidance and counseling to coordinators, case managers and Clinical Supervisors to assist them in continually improving all aspects of hospice care services, provided through organization personnel

Assist Clinical Supervisors in managing clinical teams and planning

Provide direction to case managers and clinical teams related to patient care delivery

Provide help in assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of patient and family/caregiver care to all clinical personnel as indicated

Assist the Executive Director in the preparation and administration of the organizations budget

Interpret operational indicators to detect census changes and increases or decreases in volume that could impact staffing levels, revenues or expenses

Evaluate performance of Clinical Supervisors and/or case managers

Assist Clinical Supervisors to develop skills and techniques in evaluating the performance of clinicians

Hire, evaluate and terminate organization personnel

Conduct annual evaluations on clinicians, or more frequently, if indicated

Oversee the maintenance of patient clinical records, statistics, reports and records for purposes of evaluation and reporting of organization activities

Assure proper maintenance of clinical records in compliance with local, state and federal laws

Responsible for the maintenance of adequate and appropriate inventory supplies and equipment for the provision of patient services

Develop, implement and evaluate the orientation program for new organization personnel

Responsible for orientation of new organization personnel, directly or delegated

Plan and implement in-service and continuing education programs to meet education and training needs of organization personnel

Assist with the evaluation of organization performance via quality assurance and performance improvement program, productivity, quarterly and annual reviews

Assure the quality and safe delivery of hospice services provided through the organization

Assist in the development of organization goals

Develop, recommend and administer organization policies and procedures

Assure compliance with all hospice related local, state and federal laws, including licensure and certification or organization personnel and maintain compliance to the CHAP Home Care standards

Stay informed about changes in the field of nursing and hospice care; share information with appropriate organization personnel

Promote hospice referrals in the health care community

In the absence of the Executive Director, the DPCS will become the acting Executive Director and will be vested with authority to act in behalf of the Executive Director

Other duties as assigned by the Executive Director

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Must comply with company policies, procedures and processes in addition to Hospice and Homecare rules and regulations

Must be dependable and flexible in work schedule

Must comply with harassment and discrimination policies

Must foster good working relationships

Must be a licensed driver with licensed automobile that is insured in accordance with organization/state requirements and is in good working order

Must be willing to submit to a criminal background check prior to hire and annually thereafter

Must possess and maintain a current CPR certification

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT:

Must be able to see color changes on a patient's skin; can listen to heart and lung sounds through a stethoscope; and feel skin temperature, as well as palpating pulses

Must demonstrate vital sensory abilities including near vision, far vision, perceptual speed, visual color discrimination, depth perception and hearing sensitivity

Must have finger dexterity, arm-hand steadiness, and manual dexterity

Must be able to manipulate equipment in a safe and effective way and use tools that require motor functioning, such as blood pressure monitors, hypodermic needles and hemostats

Must be able to communicate with patients, families and other health care workers

Speech clarity, speech recognition and written expression are vital abilities for performing the job

Must be able to lift heavy items on a frequent basis

Must be able to lift and carry up to 50 lbs. with or without assistance and must be able to spend a prolonged amount of time standing, walking, bending and stretching

Must possess the ability to deal with stressful situations as well as grieving families

Must be able to be compassionate without becoming personally involved with the patients and their families

Must be willing to participate in a drug/alcohol screen prior to hire, if involved in a work-related automobile accident or if reasonable suspicion is reported