At Houston Methodist, the Case Manager (CM) Advanced position is a registered nurse (RN) responsible for promoting the achievement of optimal clinical and resource outcomes, accountable for a designated assignment that is considered more complex and resource intensive. This position has achieved an expert level at all the objectives delineated in the Case Manager and Case Manager Certified job roles and is responsible for facilitating appropriate lengths of stay (LOS) and reimbursement for all hospital admissions in accordance with set goals and objective. The CM Advanced position assures that admission and continued stay are medically necessary, communicating clinical information to payers to ensure reimbursement. The Advanced CM position analyzes variances to identify opportunities for improvement and acts as the key information and education resource for the interprofessional health care team. This position promotes and maintains compassionate, quality of care through collaboration with all service team members, patients and families and works with the leadership team for special project activities related but not limited to, throughput, readmissions, and utilization management to align with the visions and goals of the department and organization. The CM Advanced position will lead projects or perform specialized responsibilities as a regular part of their normal job responsibilities.

PATIENT AGE GROUP(S) AND POPULATION(S) SERVED
Refer to departmental "Scope of Service" and "Provision of Care" plans, as applicable, for description of primary age groups and populations served by this job for the respective HM entity.

HOUSTON METHODIST EXPERIENCE EXPECTATIONS

• Provide personalized care and service by consistently demonstrating our I CARE values:
  • INTEGRITY: We are honest and ethical in all we say and do.
  • COMPASSION: We embrace the whole person including emotional, ethical, physical, and spiritual needs.
  • ACCOUNTABILITY: We hold ourselves accountable for all our actions.
  • RESPECT: We treat every individual as a person of worth, dignity, and value.
  • EXCELLENCE: We strive to be the best at what we do and a model for others to emulate.

• Practices the Caring and Serving Model

• Delivers personalized service using HM Service Standards

• Provides for exceptional patient/customer experiences by following our Standards of Practice of always using Positive Language (AIDET, Managing Up, Key Words)

• Intentionally collaborates with other healthcare professionals involved in patients/customers or employees' experiential journeys to ensure strong communication, ease of access to information, and a seamless experience.

• Involves patients (customers) in shift/handoff reports by enabling their participation in their plan of care as applicable to the given job

• Displays cultural humility, diversity, equity and inclusion principles

• Actively supports the organization's vision, fulfills the mission and abides by the I CARE values

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Promotes a positive work environment and leads the team to be a dynamic, team-focused work unit that actively helps one another to achieve optimal department results. Acts as a role model to team members exemplifying effective communication skills. Collaborates with all members of the patient care team by actively communicating and reporting pertinent patient care information and data in a comprehensive manner.

• Works with physician leadership and the interprofessional healthcare team for defined patient populations to develop clinical pathways, continuum care management programs, measurement and feedback of performance indicators for cost, quality and service and patient satisfaction.

• Serves as the primary information resource for case management staff, payors, physicians, other healthcare team members and customers. Acts as a formal preceptor/coach for new case management employees. Develops skills of team members and continually assists with improving skills, performance and outcomes. Provides feedback to management on team member performance and conduct.

• Conducts self in a manner that is congruent with cultural diversity, equity and inclusion principles. Collaborates with leadership team on recruitment and retention strategies and key initiatives to improve employee relations, participation and engagement. Initiates improvement of department scores for employee engagement, i.e., peer-to-peer accountability.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Serves as a leader for comprehensive case management activities including assessing all patients and leading team to set discharge plan, participating in daily rounds or discussions, identifying and leading resolution of barriers to efficient patient throughput.

• Continuously reviews the total picture of the patient for opportunities for care facilitation and needs for discharge planning. Mentors others regarding specialty populations.

• Independently handles resolution of complex problems and issues. Serves as escalation support for novice staff. Implements and leads initiatives to improve patient and family satisfaction related to discharge question(s) on HCAHPS.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Identifies need for case management and/or social work intervention and implements strategies that improve care coordination metrics (LOS reduction, discharges before 11am and readmission reduction) by using clinical expertise and high-risk screening tools.

• Actively participate in system-wide projects regarding Case Management related topics such as length of stay reduction, readmission prevention, utilization management denial mitigation and appeal resolution. Identifies opportunities for process improvement to improve the quality of case management and social work documentation, providing recommendations to meeting department and hospital targets for quality and safety. Works with the department leadership to create and/or enhance current operational and documentation of efficiencies to improve the quality of information in the medical record.

• Performs chart audits to assess compliance with department-specific tasks and documentation. Tracks and trends performance and reports to department leadership.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Oversees the management of specific patient populations across the continuum, focusing on high-risk, high-cost patients. Takes leadership role in collaborating with employees to secure reimbursement for hospital services. Collaborates with department leadership on cost-reduction strategies. Leads efforts to ensure appropriate capture of avoidable and excess days. Reports trends to department leadership team.

• Functions as resource to department staff in communicating medical information required by external review entities, managed care contractors, insurers, fiscal intermediaries, state, and federal agencies. Collaborates with the appropriate resources to mitigate denials.

• Collaborates with department leadership on efforts to reduce length of stay (LOS) including serving as the resource to staff on proactively identifying and assessing difficult discharges, timely escalation, and progressive care coordination for next level of care arrangement and transition.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Expands own knowledge and serves as instructor in continuing education or formal program and expert consultation; coaches staff to grow in knowledge, abilities, skills, and attitudes. Reads and leads critique of evidence-based practice literature in case management and related disciplines. Identifies, plans, and implements education for the unit and service line in collaboration with team members and interprofessional partners.

• Fulfills role of leadership on at least one hospital or system-based committee. Seeks opportunities to identify self-development needs and takes appropriate action. Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management. Completes and updates the My Development Plan on an on-going basis.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; the employee will also perform other reasonably related business/job duties as assigned. Houston Methodist reserves the right to revise job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

EDUCATION

• Bachelor's degree or higher in nursing

• Master's degree preferred

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Seven years hospital clinical nursing experience which includes five years in case management

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS - REQUIRED

• RN - Registered Nurse - Texas State Licensure and/or Compact State Licensure within 60 days OR
• RN-Temp - Registered Nurse - Temporary State Licensure within 60 days AND
• Magnet - ANCC Recognized Certification -- Case Management-related OR
• ACM - Accredited Case Manager (NBCM) -- National Board for Case Management

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations

• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security

• Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles

• Ability to work independently and exercise sound judgment in interactions with physicians, payors, and patients and their families

• Strong assessment, organizational and problem-solving skill as evidenced by capacity to prioritize multiple tasks and role components

• Knowledge of community resources, health care financial and payer issues, Medicare, Medicaid and Managed Care requirements and eligibility for state, local and federal programs

• Skill-specific areas include: regulatory requirements, pathway development/ implementation, ethics/healthcare law, clinical skill, etc.

• Expert knowledge of discharge planning, utilization management, case management, performance improvement and managed care reimbursement

• Understanding of pre-acute and post-acute venues of care and post-acute community resources

• Proficient in computer skills of the entire Microsoft Office Suite (Access, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Word)

• Required passage of Interrater Reliability test (IRR)

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform No
• Scrubs No
• Business professional Yes
• Other (department approved) No

ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. DIsaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.

• On Call* Yes

TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area No

Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital, located 35 miles east of Houston, is the area's only full-service hospital offering specialized medical care for patients at every stage in life. This 230-licensed bed hospital with 15 operating rooms and over 1,700 employees, brings Medical Center excellence and quality care close to East Harris and surrounding counties.