Occupational Therapist (OT) - Outpatient Neuro

Aurora Health Care; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Aurora Health Care in Milwaukee is seeking an Occupational Therapist to evaluate patients, develop individualized treatment plans, and improve their daily living activities. You will implement therapy, fabricate assistive devices, and monitor outcomes as part of a collaborative care team.

Responsibilities include discharge planning, caregiver instruction, documentation, and adherence to insurance guidelines.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Occupational Therapy.
• No experience required.
• Licensed Occupational Therapist in Wisconsin or ability to obtain licensure.

Responsibilities

• Interprets physician referrals and evaluates patient abilities and daily living activities.
• Establishes and implements a plan of care with goals; fabricates assistive devices to promote independence.
• Plans for discharge, provides home programs and family teaching, and orders equipment.
• Completes documentation including progress notes, discharge summaries, and billing records; applies insurance guidelines.
• Maintains clean, orderly treatment areas and assists with patient handling and transfers.
• Demonstrates modality and exercise technique knowledge and safety considerations.
• Participates in performance improvement activities and manages caseload with leadership coordination.
• Pursues ongoing education and orients new staff; participates in coworker evaluations.
• Assesses age-specific needs and ensures care aligns with department policies and standards.

Skills

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Organization

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Occupational Therapy

Tools

EMR systems

Job description

• Interprets physician referrals and evaluates the patient's physical, perceptual, cognitive, social, and vocational abilities and their impact on the patient's activities of daily living.
• Establishes a plan of care and implements individual treatment based on evaluation results, functional goals and by utilizing appropriate techniques. Provides and/or fabricates assistive devices and/or splints to enhance patient's functional independence. Monitors and evaluates outcomes and appropriately adjusts individualized treatment plan based on patient's response, and provides status updates to physicians. Identifies factors affecting patient's physical and psychosocial comfort and attends to these needs.
• Plans for and completes patient discharge including providing written home programs, patient/family teaching, referral for community services, and ordering equipment.
• Completes all required documentation including patient progress notes, team conference reports, discharge summaries, and records patient care and progress as well as daily statistics, billing, and scheduling. Applies insurance guidelines regarding authorization and number of visits.
• Responsible for cleaning up after patient treatment, putting away equipment, and keeping area neat and orderly. Performs various manual techniques, patient positioning, transferring and transporting duties, which require lifting and pushing/pulling, while utilizing proper technique.
• Demonstrates skill in use of modalities, exercise equipment and other devices that are available in area worked per department orientation checklist. Demonstrates knowledge of indications and contraindications of modalities and exercise.
• Participates in performance improvement activities designed to identify and resolve problems affecting patient care outcomes and to improve quality of care. Manages assigned caseload, informing site leadership of coverage needs and ability to cover; assists with coverage, based on department needs and regional needs.
• Pursues professional educational growth through participation in continuing education courses, department inservices, and reading professional literature. Orients new staff to clinical and department policies as requested. Participates in the evaluation process of co-workers by providing verbal or written feedback as requested.
• Must be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served. Must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to his/her age-specific needs, and to provide the care needed as described in the department's policies and procedures. Age-specific information is developed further in the departmental job standards.

Major Responsibilities

• Interprets physician referrals and evaluates the patient's physical, perceptual, cognitive, social, and vocational abilities and their impact on the patient's activities of daily living.
• Establishes a plan of care and implements individual treatment based on evaluation results, functional goals and by utilizing appropriate techniques. Provides and/or fabricates assistive devices and/or splints to enhance patient's functional independence. Monitors and evaluates outcomes and appropriately adjusts individualized treatment plan based on patient's response, and provides status updates to physicians. Identifies factors affecting patient's physical and psychosocial comfort and attends to these needs.
• Plans for and completes patient discharge including providing written home programs, patient/family teaching, referral for community services, and ordering equipment.
• Completes all required documentation including patient progress notes, team conference reports, discharge summaries, and records patient care and progress as well as daily statistics, billing, and scheduling. Applies insurance guidelines regarding authorization and number of visits.
• Responsible for cleaning up after patient treatment, putting away equipment, and keeping area neat and orderly. Performs various manual techniques, patient positioning, transferring and transporting duties, which require lifting and pushing/pulling, while utilizing proper technique.
• Demonstrates skill in use of modalities, exercise equipment and other devices that are available in area worked per department orientation checklist. Demonstrates knowledge of indications and contraindications of modalities and exercise.
• Participates in performance improvement activities designed to identify and resolve problems affecting patient care outcomes and to improve quality of care. Manages assigned caseload, informing site leadership of coverage needs and ability to cover; assists with coverage, based on department needs and regional needs.
• Pursues professional educational growth through participation in continuing education courses, department inservices, and reading professional literature. Orients new staff to clinical and department policies as requested. Participates in the evaluation process of co-workers by providing verbal or written feedback as requested.
• Must be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served. Must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to his/her age-specific needs, and to provide the care needed as described in the department's policies and procedures. Age-specific information is developed further in the departmental job standards.

Licensure, Registration, And/or Certification Required

• Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers certification issued by the American Heart Association (AHA) needs to be obtained within 6 months unless department leader has determined it is not required, and
• Occupational Therapist license issued by the state of Wisconsin.

Education Required

• Bachelor's Degree in Occupational Therapy.

Experience Required

• No experience required.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required

• Intermediate computer skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated organization, decision-making, and problem solving skills.
• Certification Addendum
• Team members will maintain annual educational requirements for hospital based certifications (e.g. DNV, CARF or others).

Physical Requirements And Working Conditions

• Must be able to sit, stand, walk, lift, and squat throughout the workday.
• Must be able to:
• Lift up to 50 lbs. from floor to waist.
• Lift up to 10 lbs. from waist to overhead.
• Lift and carry up to 40 lbs. at waist height a reasonable distance.
• Must be able to:
• Push/pull with 30 lbs. of force.
• Perform a sliding transfer of 150 lbs. with a second person present.
• Position requires repetitive use of hands:
• Simple grasping - 5-15 lbs. - 20% of the workday.
• Pushing/pulling - up to 75-100 lbs. - 10% of the day.
• Fine manipulation of hands during massage and joint mobilization.
• Must have functional use of senses to allow for effective communication.
• Exposed to electrical and chemical hazards as well as blood and body fluids; therefore must have ability to wear protective clothing as needed.
• Position may require travel; therefore may be exposed to road and weather hazards.
• Operates all equipment necessary to perform the job.

This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties.