Hospital Liaison - Catawba County

VIA Health Partners is an industry leader and top-10 nationally ranked provider of end-of-life care.  More importantly we are proud to be a community based, not for profit hospice & palliative care provider.  We have deep community roots, with decades of experience serving ALL patients’ and families’ needs regardless of their ability to pay or their medical complexity. We are a people first organization whose funds go to serve our mission.

Due to our significant growth, we are looking for amazing new staff who share these same values. Apply now and be a part of our success story.

We provide excellent benefits including:

• Medical, Vision, and Dental plans through BCBS
• 28 days of Paid Time Off
• Excellent mileage reimbursement rate 
• 403b Retirement plan with matching
• Focused programs honoring Veteran patients
• Assistance with achieving Certified Hospice & Palliative Nurse (CHPN)
• Best Orientation and Onboarding program you’ve experienced
• Seasoned Hospice leaders guiding your career growth

Essential Functions

• Direct Inpatient Care
  • Serves as the “face” and liaison between VIA and the hospital systems in our service area.
  • Provides information to patients, families and healthcare professionals interested in hospice services.
  • Visits and assesses existing VIA patients admitted to the hospital within 24 hours of admission notification.
  • Reviews inpatient medical records on all hospice consults, referrals and existing patients.
  • Collaborates with the appropriate Team Manager to determine admission status or level of care for existing patients.
  • Initiates and maintains a liaison relationship with all hospital discharge planners and case managers to effectively coordinate and ensure collaborative management of the patient while hospitalized.
  • Reliably communicates pertinent patient information to both members of the hospice interdisciplinary team and the hospital personnel.
  • Ensures adherence to the hospice Plan of Care, while collaborating with hospital staff and incorporating individualized goals and interventions.
  • Coordinates and communicates discharge disposition with the Referral Center Triage Staff, Hospital Liaison Clinical Coordinator, and the primary hospice team.
  • Presents hospice services, conducts hospital nursing assessment to identify patient/caregiver needs, coordinates ancillary services, develops General Inpatient Plan of Care, and begins collaborative discharge planning with hospital personnel for newly admitted hospice patients at the General Inpatient Level.

• Professional and Personal Accountability
  • Ensures that VIA professional reputation is maintained and projected.
  • Demonstrates competency in knowledge and skills.
  • Assumes responsibility for professional development and staying abreast of current trends in the healthcare field. Incorporates new information and methods into practice.
  • Maintains current professional licensure, CPR certification and CEU requirements.
  • Understands that physicians’ offices, hospital personnel, assisted living communities, long term care communities, VIA Home Care and HART Teams and IPU staff are our customers and strives for a positive and productive relationship.
  • Maintains productive and professional relations with external agencies and healthcare providers.
  • Assumes periodic on-call responsibilities and holiday coverage.
  • Works very closely with the Business Development & Marketing team, communicating any pertinent information, needs, or concerns relative to exceeding the expectations of the client/referral sources. (i.e. Hospital Systems)
• Ensures accurate, complete and timely clinical documentation in accordance with VIA’s guidelines
  • Keeps clinical records current by synchronizing laptop information prior to documenting and after completion.
  • Completes and submits all clinical documentation per VIA clinical documentation guidelines (i.e., both electronic and hard copy documentation is due within 24 hours of visit).
  • Communication via Secure Messages, Referral Memo and voice messages should be completed by the end of the business day the communication is obtained.
  • Appropriately utilizes VIA patient related protocols, standing orders, Hospice Pharmacia MUG guidelines, appropriate criteria for oxygen use and other specialized treatments.
  • Initiates and maintains current medication profile as directed by physician.
  • Coordinates care with physicians and hospital personnel utilizing the VIA Palliative Intervention Algorithm.

May perform other duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

• A Diploma or Associate’s Degree in nursing required; Bachelor’s Degree preferred. 
• Current, active, and unrestricted NC/SC license as Registered Nurse (RN). 
• Current CPR required; CHPN preferred.  Oncology nurse certification if required for chemotherapy administration.
• Minimum 2 years related experience.  Experience in direct care of patients with life limiting illnesses required.  Related experience may include hospice and palliative care; family medicine; internal medicine; geriatrics, oncology; home health care; medical surgical.   Prior experience in working in an environment which focuses on the pediatric population is required for Kids Path Nurse with BCLS (CPR) training for both adult and child/infant required.
• Computer proficiency is required.