Social Worker LSW-Case Management Part Time Days

Company Description

At Northwestern Medicine, every patient interaction makes a difference in cultivating a positive workplace. This patient-first approach is what sets us apart as a leader in the healthcare industry. As an integral part of our team, you'll have the opportunity to join our quest for better healthcare, no matter where you work within the Northwestern Medicine system. At Northwestern Medicine, we pride ourselves on providing competitive benefits: from tuition reimbursement and loan forgiveness to 401(k) matching and lifecycle benefits, we take care of our employees. Ready to join our quest for better?

Job Description

**This is a part time position at 20 hours per week located at Lake Forest Hospital. **

The Social Worker LSW reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, adheres to the organization’s Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards.

This role is a licensed, masters-prepared social worker who is an experienced and independent generalist clinician responsible for complex psychosocial interventions and facilitating the plan of care through discharge planning and resource utilization for all patient populations throughout the Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital campus.

The Social Worker LSW proactively collaborates with Patient Care staff, Medical Staff, and other ancillary departments integrating the Department’s functions and services with other aspects of the patient care process. For each problem, issue, or concern, this individual develops observable and measurable goals and expected outcomes in the areas of problem resolution, utilization and resource management, and patient satisfaction. The Social Worker LSW meets the professional exemption under FLSA.

Responsibilities:

• Develops individualized treatment plans for patients, in collaboration with the patient, their family and the health care team.
• Coordinates and leads care conferences on patients with length of stays greater than 7 days.
• Documents unusual occurrences and patient relations issues; makes appropriate referrals to risk management, infection control and quality departments.
• Assesses patient and family needs for appropriate discharge services.
• Coordinates transfer to appropriate level of care such as skilled care, rehabilitation, custodial and home health care for complex care.
• Documents discharge planning on the interdisciplinary plan of care, in progress notes and education record (when applicable).
• Maintains current knowledge of resources available in the community to support a continuum of effective services for the patient.
• Delivers notice of Medicare discharge appeal rights within the appropriate time frame.
• Delivers detailed notice of discharge upon discharge appeal for social work cases.
• Performs medical record review to assess for appropriateness of admissions and continued hospital stay for assigned patients.
• Monitors avoidable days and recommends change in services or processes.
• Ensures compliance with managed care contracts and length of stay targets while maintaining quality of care.
• Develops and educates staff to reduce length of stay and resource consumption while maintaining quality of care.
• Distributes hospital issued non-coverage notices.
• Identifies appropriate cases requiring social work services.
• Collaborates with physicians and other healthcare personnel in patient evaluation and treatment to further their understanding of significant social and emotional factors underlying patient's health problems.
• Advocates for patients’ rights within the healthcare community to access resources to improve compliance and quality of life.
• Identifies and validates patient and family psychosocial needs that impact compliance to medical treatment plan through individual or group conferences to help the patient understand, accept and follow medical recommendations.
• Provides appropriate services and referrals to restore and motivate the patient to seek optimum social and health adjustment within the patient's capacity.
• Utilizes available community resources to assist patients to resume their lives in the community and to learn to adapt within limits of disability.
• Prepares patient histories, service plans and reports; provides consistent, accurate documentation of social work activities.
• Provides emotional support and counseling to patients and their families to assist them in coping with illness, hospitalizations, the dying process, and financial management.
• Reports abuse, neglect, domestic violence and other required cases to appropriate authorities and provides education and guidance to oth