Patient Placement and Transfer Center Mgr. - Patient Placement Center

UTMB Health; Galveston (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

UTMB Health is seeking a Patient Placement and Transfer Center Manager to coordinate timely bed assignments and patient transfers within the hospital system. You will lead a team of nurses and placement coordinators, ensuring smooth communication with referring facilities, insurers, vendors, and departments involved in patient transfers.

The role requires a nursing degree with 5 years of healthcare experience including leadership, and a focus on efficiency, compliance, and patient flow.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in nursing is required.
• Five years of healthcare experience with at least 3 years in lead/supervisory roles.
• Preferred: nursing degree, Master's degree, experience with multiple healthcare IT systems, five years of clinical practice, and ED/critical care experience.

Responsibilities

• Oversee bed assignments, transfers, and patient flow across UTMB hospitals.
• Lead nurses and placement coordinators; ensure effective communication with hospitals, insurers, vendors, and stakeholders.
• Manage 24/7 operations including staffing, quality assurance, compliance, data analytics, reporting, and financial management.
• Develop and implement strategic plans to improve patient access services and department performance; monitor budgets and staffing.

Skills

Critical thinking

Verbal communication

Written communication

Interpersonal skills

Team collaboration

Work under pressure

Education

Bachelor's degree in nursing

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Healthcare information systems

Job description

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in nursing
• Five (5) years experience in healthcare, three of the five years in a lead/supervisory experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

(For Associate Director and above jobs. )

• Nursing degree preferred.
• Master's degree preferred.
• Working knowledge of multiple healthcare information system applications is preferred.
• Five years of clinical practice is preferred.
• Two years of emergency department/critical care experience preferred.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

• The Patient Placement and Transfer Center Manager manages all UTMB's bed placement and transfer center functions. The primary responsibility will be to coordinate the timely and efficient bed assignment and transfer of patients from referring facilities or departments to appropriate levels of care within the hospital. The manager will lead a team of nurses and placement coordinators, ensuring smooth communication and collaboration among various community hospitals, insurance companies, vendors, departments, and stakeholders involved in patient transfers.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Oversight of registered nurses and patient placement coordinators who coordinate bed assignments, all incoming transfers, and patient flow for all UTMB hospitals.
• Exhibits effective communication and collaboration with hospital and community leadership.
• Responsible for 24/7 operation including clinical operations, staffing, quality assurance, compliance, data analytics and reporting, and financial management, ensuring operations function in a manner that complies with standards of practice.
• Ongoing accountability for the continuous assessment, improvement, coordination, and integration of the department services and standards of care into the UTMB’s primary function.
• Works closely with the Director, Medical Director, and the Chief Medical Officer to project and prepare annual operating budgets.
• Monitors fiscal budget to control operational and capital expenditures while monitoring and adjusting staffing patterns to improve overall productivity.
• Develop and implement strategic and tactical plans for the development and quality improvement of the UTMB Patient Placement and Transfer Center; partner with internal management to accomplish strategic and operational objectives related to patient access services; collaborate with other departments to streamline processes and improve cross-functional coordination. Collaborate with the leadership team to design more specific guidelines as needed.
• Ensure operational processes are efficient, effective, and compliant with relevant regulations and standards, ethical standards, legal requirements, and accreditation/regulatory/government regulations. Stay updated on changes in laws and industry best practices, adjusting departmental processes as necessary to maintain compliance.
• Implement initiatives to optimize patient flow and enhance the overall patient experience.
• Tracks and reports trends of inappropriate transfers to Director and Medical Director.

Manager responsibilities:

• Implement training programs to educate staff on compliance regulations and monitor their adherence to ethical and legal standards.
• Promotes positive work environment, holds employees accountable for their conduct and interpersonal skills, and encourages staff development of communications.
• Promotes a culture of service excellence and quality by implementing and accepting accountability for the following service standards:
  • Providing excellent service to patients/customers;
  • Building strong relationships and team cohesiveness;
  • Focusing on quality and positive solutions;
  • Communicating respectfully;
  • Demonstrating compassion and understanding in response to patient and
  • customer requests/needs.
• Staffing management: recruit, hire, train, and conduct annual performance evaluations.
• Promptly address employee relations issues through coaching, counseling, and disciplinary action.
• Ensure that staff members adhere to established protocols and procedures.
• Partner with HR to ensure UTMB's policies and best practices are followed.
• Marginal or Periodic Functions:
• Adheres to internal controls established for the department.
• Performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES

• Works independently.
• Displays critical thinking.
• Maintains professionalism and UTMB patient confidentiality.
• Must be able to work in a high stress environment and independently manage multiple competing work priorities. Requires flexibility with assigned tasks as they change to meet departmental needs.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to present effectively to small and large groups.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively in a collaborative team environment at all levels.

Salary Range:

Commensurate with experience

Equal Employment Opportunity

UTMB Health strives to provide equal opportunity employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state or local laws unless such distinction is required by law. As a Federal Contractor, UTMB Health takes affirmative action to hire and advance protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.