Registered Nurse, RN, Inpatient Care Manager, Healthcare, WellMed - Harlingen, TX

Challenge brings out the best in us. It also attracts the best. That's why you'll find some of the most amazingly talented people in health care here. Bring your skills and talents to a role where you'll have the opportunity to make an impact on a huge scale. This is the place to do your life's best work.(sm)
 
This position requires 25% travel in the Harlingen, TX area
 
Inpatient Services
 
The Case Manager II- Inpatient Services performs onsite review or telephonic clinical review of inpatient admissions in an acute hospital, rehabilitation facility, LTAC or skilled nursing facility. Actively implements a plan of care utilizing approved clinical guidelines to transition and provide continuity of care for members to an appropriate lower level of care in collaboration with the hospitals/physician team, acute or skilled facility staff, ambulatory care team, and the member and/or family/caregiver. The case manager is responsible for coordinating the care from admission through discharge. The Case Manager participates in integrated care team conferences to review clinical assessments, update care plans, identify members at risk for readmission and to finalize discharge plans.
 
Primary Responsibilities:

Collaborates effectively with integrated care team (ICT) to establish an individualized plan of care for members; the interdisciplinary care team develops interventions to assist the member in meeting short and long term plan of care goals
Serves as the clinical liaison with hospital, clinical and administrative staff as well as provides expertise for clinical authorizations for inpatient care. based on utilized evidenced-based criteria
Performs concurrent and retrospective onsite or telephonic clinical reviews at the designated network or out of network facilities; documents medical necessity and appropriate level of care utilizing national recognized clinical guidelines
Interacts and effectively communicates with facility staff, members and their families and/or designated representative to assess discharge needs and formulate discharge plan and provide health plan benefit information
Stratifies and/or validates patient level of risk and communicates during transition process with the Integrated Care Team
Provide assessments of physical, psycho-social and transition needs in settings not limited to the PCP office, hospital, or member’s home; develops interventions and processes to assist the member in meeting short and long term plan of care goals
Manages assigned case load in an efficient and effective manner utilizing time management skills to facilitate the total work process directly monitoring assigned members

Provides constructive information to minimize problems and increase customer satisfaction
Seeks ways to improve job efficiency and makes appropriate suggestions following the appropriate chain of command
Demonstrates knowledge of utilization management and care coordination processes and current standards of care as a foundation for transition planning activities
Confers with physician advisors on a regular basis regarding inpatient cases and participates in department case   rounds.  Plans member transitions, with providers, patient and family
Enters timely and accurate data into designated care management applications as needed to communicate patient needs and maintains audit scores of 90% or better on a monthly/quarterly basis
 Adheres to organizational and departmental policies and procedures and credentialed compliance

Takes on-call assignment as directed
Attends and Participates in integrated care team meetings as directed        
Problem solving by gathering and /or reviewing facts and selecting the best solution from identified alternatives; decision-making is usually based on prior practice or policy, with some interpretation; must apply individual reasoning to the solution of problems, devising or modifying processes and writing procedures as necessary

Maintains current knowledge of health plan benefits and provider network including inclusions and exclusions in contract terms.
With the assistance of the Managed Care/UM teams, guides physicians in their awareness of preferred contracts and providers and facilities
Refers cases to Medical Director as appropriate for review or requests not meeting criteria or for complex case situations
Participates in the development of appropriate QI processes, establishing and monitoring indicators
Perform comprehensive assessments and document findings in a concise/comprehensive manner that is compliant with documentation requirements and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regulations.
Performs all other related duties as assigned

Required Qualifications:


Education required:

     Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, or
     Associate’s degree in Nursing and Bachelor’s degree in related field, or
     Associate’s degree in Nursing combined with 4 or more years of experience
Current, unrestricted RN license required, specific to the state of employment
Five or more years of diverse clinical experience in caring for the acutely ill patients with multiple disease conditions
Two or more years of managed care and/or case management experience
Knowledge of utilization management, quality improvement, discharge planning, and cost management
Access to reliable transportation that will enable you to travel to client and/or patient sites within a designated area
Ability to read, analyze and interpret information in medical records, health plan documents and financial reports
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of variables
Possess planning, organizing, conflict resolution, negotiating and interpersonal skills
Proficient with Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, and Power Point
Independent problem identification/resolution and decision making skills
Must be able to prioritize, plan, and handle multiple tasks/demands simultaneously
Frequently required to stand, walk or sit for prolonged periods
Case Management Certification (CCM) or ability to obtain CCM within 6months after the first year of employment
This position requires Tuberculosis screening as well as proof of immunity to Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella, Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis through lab confirmation of immunity, documented evidence of vaccination, or a doctor’s diagnosis of disease
Preferred Qualifications:

Experience working with psychiatric and geriatric patient populations
Bilingual (English/Spanish) language proficiency
Careers with WellMed. Our focus is simple. We're innovators in preventative health care, striving to change the face of health care for seniors. We're impacting 90,000+ lives, primarily Medicare eligible seniors in Texas and Florida, through primary and multi-specialty clinics, and contracted medical management services. We've joined Optum, part of the UnitedHealth Group family of companies, and our mission is to help the sick become well and to help patients understand and control their health in a lifelong effort at wellness. Our providers and staff are selected for their dedication and focus on preventative, proactive care. For you, that means one incredible team and a singular opportunity to do your life's best work.(sm)
 
Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.
UnitedHealth Group is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.
 
Job Keywords: Registered Nurse, RN, Inpatient Care Manager, Healthcare, WellMed, Harlingen, Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, Cameron, Brownsville, Mission, Pharr, Weslaco, Edinburg, Port Isabel, Elsa, Mercedes, Fern Road, Texas, TX Managed Care