Manager Transplant Clinical Operations (RN)

At Houston Methodist, the Manager Transplant Clinical Operations position impacts the clinical management, planning, development, budget, and other administrative activities of the transplant center. This position demonstrates leadership qualities and critical thinking through self-direction, initiative, effective interpersonal skills and oral/written communication skills. The Manager Transplant Clinical Operations position plans, manages, and monitors operations of the outpatient transplant clinic including satellite system hospital and community clinic locations to support the clinical activities of the department while maximizing outcomes through efficient, effective and compliant procedures. This position supports the clinical practice of a multi-organ transplant center and collaborates with medical and surgical directors of each organ program to develop and maintain clinical processes and procedures related to transplantation. The Manager Transplant Clinical Operations position oversees the clinical regulatory compliance with transplant specific agencies and certifications.

Manager responsibilities include managing the daily work activities of the work unit/department staff, ensuring quality, productivity, functional excellence and efficiency while assisting management in accomplishing strategic and operational objectives. In addition, this position provides guidance to staff and is responsible for staffing, budget compliance, contributing to staffing decisions such as hiring and terminating employment, coaching and counseling employees on work related performance, and assisting in the development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure a safe and effective work environment. This position also implements training, monitoring and operations initiatives that assure compliance with ethical and legal business practices and accreditation/regulatory/government regulations.

FLSA STATUS
Exempt

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited school of Nursing
• Master’s Degree preferred

EXPERIENCE

• Five years medical /surgical nursing experience of which one year must have been in a progressive leadership role in healthcare
• ICU or Transplant nursing experience preferred
• Experience with regulatory agency compliance with transplant specific agency experience (CMS certification, UNOS/OPTN) preferred

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
Required

• RN - Registered Nurse - Texas State Licensure - Texas Board of Nursing_PSV Compact Licensure – Must obtain permanent Texas license within 60 days (if establishing Texas residency) and
• BLS - Basic Life Support or Instructor (AHA) - American Heart Association and
• CCTC - Certified Clinical Transplant Coordinator (ABTC) - American Board for Transplant Certification_PSV within 6 months and
• Magnet-L ANCC-recognized leadership certification (ANCC) within 6 months

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations
• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security
• Ability to effectively communicate through a variety of channels with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles; engages the recipient(s) and helps them understand and retain the message
• Demonstrates the ability to interact with others in a way that gives them confidence in one’s intentions and those of the organization
• Ability to use appropriate interpersonal styles and techniques to gain acceptance of ideas or plans; modifying one’s own behavior to accommodate tasks, situations and individuals involved
• Demonstrates leadership qualities and critical thinking through self-direction initiative and effective interpersonal skills and oral/written communication skills
• Ability to identify and understand issues, problems and opportunities, comparing data from different sources to draw conclusions; using effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions; taking action that is consistent with available facts, constraints and probable consequences
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment
• Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability in the workplace
• Skilled at managing multiple projects with conflicting priorities.
• Extremely well-organized and detail oriented.
• Demonstrates problem solving skills to include investigation, identifications of cause(s), development of corrective action, and submits reports which require minimal editing.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Performs management responsibilities of selection, scheduling, supervision, retention, and evaluation of employees in transplant department. Provides development and mentoring of staff. Meets or exceeds threshold goal for department turnover. Develops direct reports to perform these same functions.
• Provides leadership and communication to maintain a competent and engaged employee group by conducting regular department meetings to review policies and procedures and operational matters, rounding on all employees, completing performance appraisals, conducting new hire feedback sessions, coaching/corrective counseling, and providing recognition/commendations to achieve desired outcomes. Provides timely guidance and feedback to help others strengthen specific knowledge/skill areas needed to accomplish a task or solve a problem.
• Facilitates the promotion of teamwork within and between departments; participates and/or leads and facilitates department process improvements as needed.
• Meets or exceeds threshold goal for department and/or system metrics on employee engagement indicators: action readiness score, tier level.
• Ensures that department consistently achieves desired clinical and management outcomes, including high degree of patient and physician satisfaction. Implements change, demonstrating the ability to motivate employees and follow through to ensure change in behavior has occurred.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Plans and organizes day-to-day transplant department operations, schedule and activities. Sets priorities and functional standards, giving direction to staff as necessary to ensure the best possible delivery of service and high customer/patient satisfaction.
• Drives department service standards and activities to impact department and/or system score for patient/customer-based satisfaction, through role modeling and fostering accountability. Serves and actively participates on various entity committees as a voice for the transplant department.
• Optimizes clinical operations and patient flow to ensure quality of care provided to patients, including serving as liaison to Guest Relations department. Collaborates and coordinates with departments impacting transplant services including but not limited to ICU and Acute care departments, outpatient services, ancillary departments, and physician organization departments to ensure timely, efficient and quality care maintained to the transplant populations. Participates in Medical Review Boards of specific program.
• Evaluates, develops and implements plans for program-specific patient education including collateral material, resources and special programs; community and referring physician education including CME programs and partnership events. Manages development, maintenance and programmatic operations related to vendor supported services (i.e. computer databases/software, device management, supply sources, etc.) and/or outsourced activities (i.e. specimen supply logistics, medical records retrieval service, etc.) as applicable.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Ensures a safe and effective working environment; monitors and/or revises the transplant department safety plan and/or any specific accreditation/regulatory required safety guidelines, including infection control principles. Monitors and confirms staff maintain their required credentials that demonstrate competency per accrediting agency or department guidelines as applicable.
• Uses and optimizes information systems to enhance operations; supports entity-specific performance improvement and data management/analysis functions. Employs a proactive approach in the optimization of safe outcomes by monitoring and improving the department workflow, using peer-to-peer accountability, reporting near misses and/or adverse events immediately and identifying solutions via collaboration. Implements process improvements utilizing tools such as LEAN principles. Role models situational awareness, using teachable moments to improve safety.
• Monitors self and employee compliance to policies and procedures and performs associated actions upon non-compliance (i.e., focal point review requirements, disaster plan, in-services, influenza immunization, wage and hour, standard hours, timely termination submission, timely timecard approval, etc.).
• Manages the design, development, coordination and continuous improvement of all clinical quality improvement initiatives and structures systems for the Transplant Center in a manner that supports achievement of quality goals. Assists in ensuring the Transplant Center meets regulatory standards for transplant-specific certification and Medicare Conditions of Participation for transplant centers. Assists with application and/or re-certification processes, responding to inquiries from transplant regulatory agencies such as OPTN/UNOS, DNV, TJC, Medicare, and Medicaid.
• Provides oversight and assure compliance of all team members and relevant physicians and providers with all UNOS (United Network of Organ Sharing) policies. Coordinates implementation of new UNOS policy affecting transplant department procedures. Collaborates with Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) to ensure organ allocation and transplant activity maintains compliance with OPTN/UNOS regulations. Facilitates case review and/or activity debriefing in timely manner as applicable.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Assists in the development of department budget and ensures that the department operates in a cost-effective manner. Manages/audits department expenses within approved budget parameters, ensuring that the transplant department meets the budgeted/flex revenue and/or expense targets on a monthly and annual basis. Develops staffing plans and schedules to meet department/patient care needs that reflect understanding of the importance of cost-effectiveness.
• Implements department strategies to achieve financial target and staffing needs, developing others to do the same, through optimizing productivity, supply/resource efficiency, minimizing incidental overtime and overtime percentage, and other areas according to department specifications. Approves all staff personal expenditures and aid in approval process for other departmental expenditures.
• Conducts analysis on all clinical program-related areas such as utilization, revenue enhancement opportunities, and cost-reduction opportunities. Assists with responses to third-party payer RFIs. Participates in organization of site visits and responds to any inquiries or requests for information and data from managed care companies. Reviews and audits inpatient and outpatient charges associated with Medicare cost reporting and assists in staff compliance of time study completion for cost reporting compliance.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Identifies and implements innovative solutions for practice or workflow changes to improve department operations or other department-specific measures by leading unit projects and/or other department/system directed shared governance activities. Supports change initiatives, maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work responsibilities or environment; adjusts effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements or cultures. Proactively evaluates processes; recommends and implements action plan(s) for change. Participates in the development and implementation of new procedures and the review and revision of existing procedures.
• Identifies opportunities and takes action to build strategic relationships between one’s area and other areas, teams, departments, and units to achieve business goals.
• Seeks opportunities to identify developmental needs of self and staff and takes appropriate action. Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management. Completes and updates the individual development plan (IDP) on an on-going basis. Conducts conversations with staff on their development and IDP.
• Works in collaboration with transplant management team to develop, coordinate, and implement an effective and efficient marketing and public relation program for the Transplant Center. Participates in development and revision of collateral material, annual report and web content. Oversees development and implementation of program-specific business development activities including outreach events, CME events, physician partnership events, representation at local, regional and national conferences, and community awareness activities. Actively participates in these activities as program leadership representation is necessary for program development.
• Assists with the development and implementation of new satellite clinics (within system hospitals and outside community locations) and programs and manages on-going clinical activity at these locations as applicable.

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform: No
• Scrubs: Yes
• Business professional: Yes
• Other (department approved): No

ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. Disaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.

• On Call* Yes

TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area Yes

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited school of Nursing
• Master’s Degree preferred

EXPERIENCE

• Five years medical /surgical nursing experience of which one year must have been in a progressive leadership role in healthcare
• ICU or Transplant nursing experience preferred
• Experience with regulatory agency compliance with transplant specific agency experience (CMS certification, UNOS/OPTN) preferred

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS
Required

• RN - Registered Nurse - Texas State Licensure - Texas Board of Nursing_PSV Compact Licensure – Must obtain permanent Texas license within 60 days (if establishing Texas residency) and
• BLS - Basic Life Support or Instructor (AHA) - American Heart Association and
• CCTC - Certified Clinical Transplant Coordinator (ABTC) - American Board for Transplant Certification_PSV within 6 months and
• Magnet-L ANCC-recognized leadership certification (ANCC) within 6 months