Wound Care Specialist
Department: Clinical
Reports To: Christine Ogden-Senior Director of Operations
Mission
The Natick Walpole VNA is committed to a traditional, yet innovative approach of providing highly skilled compassionate home health care to the communities it serves. The NWVNA continually strives to be responsive to patient and community needs, to promote healthy lifestyles, and facilitate independence and resourcefulness to enable people to remain in their own homes, thereby enhancing their quality of life.
Job Summary
NWVNA is looking for a full-time Clinical Specialist – Wound Care, reporting to Christine Ogden, Senior Director of Operations.
Responsibilities:
- Serves as a main contact and facilitator to receive referral and other patient information for patients with complex wound care needs to help ensure effective hand off.
- Performs the admission visit, including submitting timely documentation of the evaluation and plan of care as needed.
- Responsible for regular, ongoing monitoring of the care and treatment of assigned wound care cases to help ensure safe, best in class care and treatment.
- Routinely review existing wound cases to ensure that wound care being utilized is effective, cost effective, and appropriate
- Works in collaboration with surgeons and physicians in educating the patients and their families about their care plan and necessary follow-up appointments.
- Effectively handles inbound phone calls related to complex care planning from current and referred patients, their referring providers, and/or outside facilities.
- Assists in the development of meaningful and relevant patient/family educational materials.
- Actively participates in patient case conferences as a clinical expert.
- Collaborates with physicians and other health care providers to coordinate the care for patients from referral to discharge /follow up.
- Will provide support to the Referral Center Manager, up to and including covering when 2 clinicians are not available within the department.
- Assists with pre-authorization and billing process, if needed.
- Serves as the liaison with the Agency’s wound care and other related supply vendors.
- Continually updates clinical knowledge and skills through consultation, formal and informal education and certification, and review of literature for self and clinical team.
- Provides leadership for process improvement project/s related to the care of the patient population with wound care needs.
- Effectively collaborates with QA and Clinical leaders to monitor and improve the patient service and clinical wound care outcomes.
- Active participant in the clinical management team meeting.
- Additional duties to support the needs of the organization.
Requirements/Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in nursing preferred.
- Current Wound Care Certification
- Two years’ experience in home health care or wound clinic setting required.
- Two years management experience in the home health/hospice industry preferred.
- Current license from Board of Nursing in Massachusetts.
- CPR certified
- Valid driver’s license
Skills/Competencies:
- Ability to make timely decisions that are guided by precedents, policies, and objectives.
- Ability to address problems that are highly varied and complex, requiring innovative, creative techniques to resolve issues.
- Demonstrates ability to utilize clinical and IT technology.
- Demonstrates superior communication skills, both written, verbal, and nonverbal.
- A history of being highly organized
Work Environment:
- Ability to work independently in the office and community/home setting.
- Must demonstrate ability to work in a team-oriented environment.