Office Respiratory Therapist

Carolina Pulmon&Critical Care
Full Time
Day Shift
7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Lexington Health is a comprehensive network of care that includes six community medical and urgent care centers, nearly 80 physician practices, more than 9,000 health care professionals and Lexington Medical Center, a 607-bed teaching hospital in West Columbia, South Carolina. It was selected by Modern Healthcare as one of the Best Places to Work in Healthcare and was first in the state to achieve Magnet with Distinction status for excellence in nursing care. Consistently ranked as best in the Columbia Metro area by U.S. News & World Report, Lexington Health delivers more than 4,000 babies each year, performs more than 34,000 surgeries annually and is the region's third largest employer.

Lexington Health also includes an accredited Cancer Center of Excellence, the state's first HeartCARE Center, the largest skilled nursing facility in the Carolinas, and an Alzheimer's care center. Its postgraduate medical education programs include family medicine and transitional year residencies, as well as an informatics fellowship.

Job Summary

Performs duties within the scope of Respiratory Care. Responsible for providing care to patients in a professional and courteous manner. Involved in a wide variety of patient care activities and accommodative services for patients under the direction of the manager/provider. Implements Physician Orders Confers with physician to determine requirements for therapy. Accepts verbal respiratory care orders from physician and documents accordingly. Performs routine oxygen therapy and diagnostic procedures such as Pulmonary Function Tests. Is responsible for interpreting results and making recommendations based upon set criteria. Provides patient education, results reporting, and clinical documentation as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Education: Graduate of a 2 year Associate Degree AMA accredited program for Respiratory Care
Minimum Years of Experience: None.
Substitutable Education & Experience (Optional): None.
Required Certifications/Licensure: Respiratory Therapist licensed by the Board of Medical Examiners for the State of South Carolina (biennial renewal required). Certified within 90 days to meet licensure requirements; Basic Life Support (BLS) Certified.
Required Training: General knowledge of medical ethics and confidentiality

Essential Functions

• Maintains a positive attitude. Has contact by phone, correspondence or personal meetings with persons in other departments or outside the practice; tact is required in these contacts and the employee assumes the responsibility for harmonious relationships.
• Demonstrates responsiveness to all patients and office staff requests and needs.
• Provides the appropriate communication of information to all ages.
• Provides/Performs: Telephones (Answers, Transfers, Orders, and Messages)
• Phone Triage:
  • Physician - Orders, Patient Issues, etc.
  • Patient - Concerns, treatment, etc.
  • Staff - Patient Care, Referrals, Precertification, etc.
• Understands and agrees to seek compliance with appropriate health and safety regulatory agencies. This includes, but is not limited to JCAHO, DHEC, and OSHA.
• Lab - Phlebotomy (Specimen Collection and Processing; Proficiency Testing; Results Reporting) and Blood Gases (Performs arterial punctures and draws from arterial lines to obtain blood gas samples; Analyzes samples on blood gas systems and interprets results; Performs routine daily preventive maintenance and Quality Control)
• Medication Management: Administration - Inhalants only; Storage and Handling; Ordering/Maintaining Levels
• Patient Care: Exam Room - Preparation & Maintenance; Conducts Patient Interview in accordance with clinical practice guidelines; Chaperone - Assists patients as needed; Assisting/Performing minor procedures; Triage (By telephone or in person)
• Implement Physician Orders: Confers with physician to determine requirements for therapy. Accepts verbal respiratory care orders from physician and documents accordingly.
• Performs routine/oxygen therapy.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Performs diagnostic procedures such as Pulmonary Function Tests, interprets results and makes recommendations based on set criteria.
• Responds to "Maydays" and performs cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.
• Patient Education: Results Reporting and Clinical Documentation.
• Operation of and responsibility for equipment (including, but not limited to, routine maintenance, ordering of supplies, log sheets and cleaning); General Office Equipment i.e. Fax, copier, etc.; Patient Care Equipment i.e. BP, Temperature, Scales, etc.; Specialized Equipment; Laboratory Equipment (Processing): Defibrillator and Pulmonary Function Equipment
• In-service/Education: Certification/Licensure and Competency (Department Orientation, Annual Training, etc.)
• Actively identifies opportunities for improvement
• Log Sheets/ Audits: Samples; Pharmacy; Mayday Equipment; Oxygen
• Instruments: Stock Appropriately - Maintain Levels; Cleaning / Sterilization; Knowledge of and usage; Storage
• Provides Support and Guidance for Clinical Policies and Procedures
• Other: Precertification/Authorization; Coding (E & M / Basic Visits, Office Procedures/ Complex Visits, Surgeries, and Hospital Services); Correspondence; Statistical Reports; Accounts Payable; Payroll
• Performs all other duties as assigned by authorized personnel or as required in an emergency, i.e. - fire or disaster.

We are committed to offering quality, cost-effective benefits choices for our employees and their families:

• Day ONE medical, dental and life insurance benefits
• Health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSAs)
• Employees are eligible for enrollment into the 403(b) match plan day one. LHI matches dollar for dollar up to 6%.
• Employer paid life insurance - equal to 1x salary
• Employee may elect supplemental life insurance with low cost premiums up to 3x salary
• Adoption assistance
• LHI provides its full-time employees employer paid short-term disability and long-term disability coverage after 90 days of eligible employment
• Tuition reimbursement
• Student loan forgiveness

Equal Opportunity Employer
It is the policy of Lexington Health to provide equal opportunity of employment for all individuals, and to remain compliant with applicable state and federal laws and regulations. Lexington Health strives to provide a discrimination-free environment, and to recruit, select, on-board, and employ all employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, including but not limited to, lactation. Lexington Health endeavors to upgrade and promote employees from within the hospital where possible and consistent with the employee's desires and abilities and the hospital's needs.