Occupational Therapist Assistant - Certified, Inpatient Rehab

Overview

*All positions are located in Fresno/Clovis CA*

 

Community Medical Centers has been providing central California with the highest level of care available in the region. Community Regional Medical Center measures up with top hospitals nationally and is the 3rd largest in California! With 685 beds, we are home to the only comprehensive Burn and Level I Trauma center between Los Angeles and Sacramento. The 56,000 square-foot emergency department is one of the largest and busiest in California! We have an 84-bed Level III NICU and plan to significantly expand pediatric specialty care. Our hospital serves 2.5 million people within 9 counties, averaging a daily census of 641 patients. We're affiliated with UCSF as a teaching facility; trained 3,000 Medical Doctor's to date plus continuous invests in research and training grants.

 

Rehab services are provided across the continuum, including a Neuroscience center and Primary Stroke Center, Joint Replacement Center of Excellence, Level III NICU, and the Leon S. Peters Rehabilitation Center.

 

Our staff is a balanced mix of seasoned clinicians, recent graduates and everything in between.  This offers an optimal environment for mentoring and implementation of the most current evidenced based practice. We support regular continuing education to maintain currency and further develop our staff. Our therapists regularly share knowledge through mentoring and in-services.

 

Being located within a Level 1 Trauma & Burn Center and teaching facility provides unique opportunities. We are able to admit patients to Acute Rehab at a higher level of acuity and initiate the rehab process earlier because we have access to the specialists in the acute environment.  We also work closely among the rehab therapy teams to improve continuity of care between settings. Additionally, access to the educational process offered in a teaching hospital offers opportunities to attend Grand Rounds, interact with physicians in the residency program, and learn from various healthcare professionals in the teaching environment.

 

Responsibilities

The Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant 1 (COTA1) is a novice to proficient clinician. Performs occupational therapy procedures as delegated by a Licensed Occupational Therapist to help acute or rehabilitative patients with mental or physical disabilities attain or regain the highest level of functional independence, and assesses and reports on the patients' progress. Responsibilities include selecting therapeutic activities and equipment most appropriate for treatment, assessing and recording patients' responses and progress, and determining when to adjust or advance patients from less to more strenuous activities. Functions within established technical standards and guidelines, but may receive further technical guidance/direction from Occupational Therapist in handling unusual situations.

 

Accountabilities

1. SECTION 1: Planning, Preparing and Documentation2. Collects and prioritizes data in a systematic and ongoing process based on the patient’s immediate condition or anticipated needs.3. Timely communication of response to treatment to the treatment team using the most effective method.4. Anticipation of patient care issues considered in planning and preparation of treatment course.5. SECTION 2: Treatment, Implementation, Patient Education6. Implements the patient’s plan of care established by a Physical Therapist/Occupational Therapist considering the current condition of the patient, patient/family teaching and care coordination.7. Provides treatment in a competent manner within own scope of practice while complying with treatment contraindications and precautions.8. Organizes patient care and discharge planning efficiently and prioritizes appropriately to create a collaborative and communicative environment for all members of the healthcare team.9. Evaluates the effectiveness of the patient’s plan of care in an ongoing, systematic and criterion-based process, including patient responses and the attainment of expected outcomes.10. For CCS-eligible patients, assists with the coordination of referral to a CCS-paneled provider or a CCS/MTU for the patient who may continue to require therapy services after hospital discharge.11. Clearly and appropriately communicates with the primary therapist all pertinent information regarding the patient’s response to treatment, patient’s progress, and needs for reassessment or therapist intervention.12. Provides patient and family education specific to the plan set forth by the primary therapist including evaluation of the effectiveness of the teaching and clear documentation of education provided.13. SECTION 3: Quality of Practice and Patient Safety14. Participates in unit and hospital-based quality improvement activities.15. Demonstrates an ongoing awareness of pati