At Houston Methodist, the Occupational Therapist Assistant (OTA) position is a member of the direct patient care team and provides patient treatments under the direction of a Licensed Occupational Therapist and performs routine occupational therapy treatments and procedures from basic to moderately complex as established by the plan of care and related patient care support activities. This position works with team members in monitoring and adjusting activities to ensure optimum patient throughput and patient experience. The OTA position delivers exceptional patient care and adheres to safety standards and guidelines to ensure optimal patient safety, customer service, and optimum patient outcomes.

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

• 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 contributes to a dynamic, team focused work unit that actively helps one another to achieve optimal department results. Seeks guidance from others and collaborates with all members of the interprofessional care team by actively communicating and reporting pertinent patient care information and data in a comprehensive manner.

• Applies expected behaviors and actions with the team members which contributes towards improvement of department scores for employee engagement, i.e. peer-to-peer accountability.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Obtains applicable and relevant information prior to patient's treatment sessions. Provides education of plan of care to patients, family members, or caregivers. Consistently evaluates the patient's comprehension, using therapeutic communication, which includes active listening and teaching, to establish a relationship with patients, and families, adapting teaching methods accordingly.

• Implements treatment programs as established by the supervising Occupational Therapist. Communicates and records patient's response to treatment plan.

• Provides care for the physical needs of patients by executing various occupational therapy concepts to maximize performance which includes positioning, physiology, procedure preparation, and technical factors.

• Contributes towards improvement of department score for patient satisfaction, through peer-to-peer accountability to service standards.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Monitors patient's progress and modifies treatment as allowed by the plan of care, recognizing complications/limitations associated with certain procedures. Collaborates and communicates with supervising therapist and other health care staff modifications to patient's treatment process, progress, and discharge planning.

• Ensures all rehabilitation equipment has had QC performed as required and is in safe working order prior to use. Reports any malfunctions to management and regularly practices preventive maintenance procedures; calls for service if needed.

• Identifies opportunities for corrective action and process improvement providing recommendations and contributes to meeting departmental and hospital targets for quality and safety. Collects and reviews quality metrics and analytics. Identifies and recommends process improvement opportunities within the department.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Schedules patients efficiently to maximize utilization of time and equipment.

• Maintains accurate and complete documentation of patient procedures performed in a timely manner in the patient record. Enters appropriate charges for services provided as applicable.

• Acts as a good steward of resources by ensuring the best use of equipment and materials. Self-motivated to independently manage time effectively, minimizing incidental overtime and prioritizing daily tasks, assisting coworkers as needed.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Participates and contributes on various department projects and activities to include shared governance, staff development and expansion of services.

• Responds positively to change by accepting and using new practices. Offers innovative solutions through participation in performance improvement projects and shared governance activities.

• Seeks opportunities to identify self-development needs as an Occupational Therapist Assistant and of leadership skills 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

• Graduate of education program approved by the credentialing body for the required credential(s) indicated below in the Certificates, Licenses and Registrations section

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Two years of experience as an Occupational Therapist Assistant preferred

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS - REQUIRED

• OTA - Occupational Therapy Assistant - Certified -State Licensure -- Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners. If temporary license, must obtain permanent license in accordance with Texas Board of Occupational Therapy Examiners. AND
• BLS - Basic Life Support or Instructor (AHA)

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through ongoing 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

• Exhibits strong interpersonal and team player skills with all levels of the healthcare team and assures delivery of excellent customer service to all patients, visitors, physicians and co-workers

• Demonstrates time management skills

• Possesses basic computer knowledge; operates multiple computer systems to include, Hospital and Office software to maintain patient and exam documents

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

WORK ATTIRE

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

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* No

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 Continuing Care Hospital is the first specialty hospital in the Houston Methodist family. Located in the heart of the Katy community, the facility provides a special menu of services for both inpatient and outpatient care by team members called to serve with excellence and compassion:

• Specialized inpatient care for those patients requiring a longer hospital stay
• Outpatient physical and speech therapy
• State-of-the-art diagnostic imaging such as X-ray, MRI, CT
• Women’s Center with advanced mammography