Emergency Transport Coordinator

Oregon Health & Science University; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare options

Pension plans

Paid vacation

Sick leave

Paid holidays

Transit discounts

Tuition reimbursement

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Oregon Health & Science University is seeking an experienced Emergency Transport Coordinator to operate within the ECC, handling transfers, dispatching PANDA teams, and coordinating regional EMS communications. The role supports ED operations, triage, and activation of emergency teams, ensuring rapid, accurate information flow.

The position requires high-stress performance, excellent communication, and the ability to manage multiple critical events concurrently, with shift work including

Qualifications

• 1 year EMS dispatching, hospital transfer center coordination or hospital bed placement coordination required.
• Excellent customer service skills, database skills, typing 45 wpm, multi-line phones, radio communications, medical terminology, and strong verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate complex transfers of acutely ill patients to OHSU/DCH from outside hospitals and initiate intake and triage, page physicians, and connect providers.
• Dispatch the PANDA team and coordinate transport with air/ground vendors; activate emergency protocols as needed.
• Answer stat lines and triage lines; manage ED calls and emergency team activations for ED staff.
• Document ambulance reports and support regional EMS functions including MCI patient distribution and AZM management.

Skills

EMS dispatching

Hospital transfer center coordination

Customer service

Multi-line phone handling

Verbal communications

Education

High School diploma

EMS dispatcher training

Tools

EPIC

Job description

Department Overview

The Emergency Transport Coordinator acts as a transfer coordinator, dispatcher, and specialty operator for the OHSU/DCH Emergency Communication Center (ECC), a multi-functional call center for OHSU/DCH emergency operations and Mission Control. This position manages calls to the OHSU System Transfer Center and other selected OHSU/DCH access numbers designated for health care providers throughout the region, and facilitates telephone and/or telemedicine connection between regional health care providers and OHSU/DCH physician staff for the purpose of advise, transfer, pediatric direct admissions, and/or emergency team activations. This position is responsible for answering incoming calls to the OHSU/DCH Emergency Department (ED) and coordinating calls and pages on behalf of ED staff. This position also documents and disseminates ambulance reports received via the OHSU and Trauma EMS radio channels, and supports area EMS functions including MCI patient distribution and hospital communications, Area Zone Management (AZM), stat POLST requests, and manages the Medical Resource Hospital (MRH) stat phone/radio lines.

Department Overview

The Emergency Transport Coordinator acts as a transfer coordinator, dispatcher, and specialty operator for the OHSU/DCH Emergency Communication Center (ECC), a multi-functional call center for OHSU/DCH emergency operations and Mission Control. This position manages calls to the OHSU System Transfer Center and other selected OHSU/DCH access numbers designated for health care providers throughout the region, and facilitates telephone and/or telemedicine connection between regional health care providers and OHSU/DCH physician staff for the purpose of advise, transfer, pediatric direct admissions, and/or emergency team activations. This position is responsible for answering incoming calls to the OHSU/DCH Emergency Department (ED) and coordinating calls and pages on behalf of ED staff. This position also documents and disseminates ambulance reports received via the OHSU and Trauma EMS radio channels, and supports area EMS functions including MCI patient distribution and hospital communications, Area Zone Management (AZM), stat POLST requests, and manages the Medical Resource Hospital (MRH) stat phone/radio lines.

Function/Duties of Position

• Coordinates complex transfers of acutely ill patients to OHSU/DCH from outside hospitals. Collect accurate patient information, initiates EPIC intake, conducts initial cursory triage for possible transfer to partner hospitals, page appropriate OHSU physician(s), and connect ref provider to OHSU providers on a recorded telephone line and/or telemedicine link. ETC is responsible for scribing key information discussed in call, activating specialty teams, and disseminating information to clinical staff. This position collaborates with the bed flow manager, physician on duty, transfer center RN, and patient placement to secure appropriate bed placement for transfer patients.
• Dispatches the Pediatric and Neonatal Doernbecher Ambulance team (PANDA) at the discretion of authorized physicians. Communicates with air and ground transport vendors to secure transportation for PANDA team to and from referring hospital, and tracks PANDA team at all stages of transport. Activates emergency protocols and secures assistance for the PANDA team when required. Answers and triages incoming calls to OHSU/DCH ED, facilitates page requests, and manages emergency team activations on behalf of ED staff.
• Answers stat lines and gathers accurate information quickly to assist callers in a timely fashion. These include but are not limited to: POLST registry and Rapid Response Team lines; may include OHSU operator stat lines in case of internal emergency.
• Responsible for answering OHSU, trauma, MRH, and MCI radio channels, and the MRH phone line. This position documents ambulance reports for OHSU and trauma communications, disseminates information about patient condition quickly and accurately to relevant clinical teams, and activates specialty teams as required. In case of regional mass casualty incident (MCI), this position serves in the capacity of Regional Hospital and will be called upon to disseminate information to area hospitals and manage patient distribution. This position will be responsible for activating and managing Area Zone Management (AZM) to evenly distribute ambulance traffic for geographic regions in which all EDs are on ambulance divert.

Required Qualifications

• One year EMS dispatching, hospital transfer center coordination or hospital bed placement coordination required. As an alternative, management may consider 2 years of Patient Access Services Specialist or similar administrative experience in a complex hospital or outpatient environment.
• Requires excellent customer service skills, database skills, type 45 wpm, multi-line phones, radio communications, medical terminology, and high skills in verbal communications.

Job Related Knowledge, Skills And Abilities (Competencies)

• Demonstrated ability to work in a high stress high acuity setting, to adapt to rapidly changing work environment, and to direct and control multiple critical communications events simultaneously.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team oriented, high stress environment with competing priorities, while also working independently
• Demonstrated exceptional customer service skills; highly proficient in verbal communications with widely diverse interactions
• Experience with multiple phones with multiple lines and extremely high call volume

Preferred Qualifications

• High School graduate or equivalent.
• Some college; formal EMS dispatcher training.
• Emergency radio communications experience
• medical terminology
• database skills

Additional Details

Shift work including weekends and holidays, scheduled and unscheduled overtime.

Benefits

• Healthcare Options - Covered 100% for full-time employees and 88% for dependents, and $25K of term life insurance provided at no cost to the employee
• Two separate above market pension plans to choose from
• Vacation- up to 200 hours per year depending on length of service
• Sick Leave- up to 96 hours per year
• 8 paid holidays per year
• Substantial Tri-met and C-Tran discounts
• Additional Programs including: Tuition Reimbursement and Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Why apply to OHSU?

We are Oregon's only public academic health center.

In addition to caring for patients, we lead groundbreaking research. We also train the next generation of health care professionals. As Portland's largest employer, we give you opportunities to learn and advance in a system of hospitals and clinics across Oregon and Southwest Washington.

All are welcome.

OHSU welcomes people of all ages, ethnicities, genders, national origins, religions and sexual orientations. We are striving to build an anti-racist, multicultural institution and encourage people with diverse backgrounds to apply.

To request reasonable accommodation, contact [e-mail]