As a patient-focused organization, University of Utah Health exists to enhance the health and well-being of people through patient care, research and education. Success in this mission requires a culture of collaboration, excellence, leadership, and respect. University of Utah Health seeks staff that are committed to the values of compassion, collaboration, innovation, responsibility, integrity, quality and trust that are integral to our mission. EO/AA

• This position is responsible for coordinating the care of deceased patients after discharge from the inpatient setting at University of Utah Health.
• This position facilitates all aspects of a deceased patient including but not limited to assisting hospital staff through legal reporting requirements, providing assistance to families, coordination with physicians on death certificate completion, tissue donation, required autopsy arrangements, and ensuring that the decedent is released to the correct entities.
• This position provides professional support to the public and hospital clinical and regulatory services regarding after-life care.
• This position will interface with the coroner's office, mortuaries, and other community agencies.

Department Overview: As the first point of contact for many University of Utah Health visitors, our mission to provide high quality, compassionate customer service to every visitor, every time. We are committed to provide a positive interaction which will help each person during a difficult time.

 

Corporate Overview: The University of Utah is a Level 1 Trauma Center and is nationally ranked and recognized for our academic research, quality standards and overall patient experience. Our five hospitals and eleven clinics provide excellence in our comprehensive services, medical advancement, and overall patient outcomes.

Patient/Customer Engagement

• Provides assistance to hospital staff and nursing units and meets with families to facilitate customer care.
• Acts as liaison between mortuaries and the organization.
• Locates existing family for patients who have not listed next-of-kin or emergency contacts.
• May work in coordination with Women's and Children's Bereavement Coordinator and parents experiencing fetal demise.

Patient Satisfaction/Quality

• Identifies continuous process improvements in assigned area(s) and recommends strategies to streamline and improve operational efficiencies with department leader.

Accountability

• Oversees placement of bodies in the morgue.
• Notifies and releases bodies to a mortician.
• Compiles death certificate information.
• Arranges for transfer of the decedent.
• Inventories, safeguards, and evacuates personal effects of deceased.
• Ensures that morgue processes are followed and high quality of decedent care delivery.

Administrative and Operational Support

• Facilitates education of employees, medical staff, laboratory staff, and mortuary personnel on Decedent Affairs processes.
• Ensures compliance with regulatory requirements and legal documentation requirements.
• Creates and provides high level reports to leadership.
• Partners with Clinical Hospital Supervisor and Customer Service to facilitate the Decedent Affairs Log for evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Demonstrates professional judgment in handling sensitive and confidential issues with tact and discretion.
• Familiar with HIPAA regulations, mortuary release protocols and coroner criteria.

Communication

• Facilitates and fosters open communication between health care team members, families, and funeral homes.
• Responsible to manage and resolve any business and/or professional conflicts in a proactive manner and to reach resolution in a timely manner.
• Responsible for upholding PROMISE standards.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

• Ability to perform the KPI's of the job as outlined above.

• Demonstrated human relations and effective verbal and written communication skills.

• Strong coordination and organizational skills required to prioritize deadlines.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

• Ability to interpret and analyze clinical data and medical records.

• This position provides independent coordination and decision making for all activities of a specified program.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in a related field, or equivalency.
• Two years of experience in healthcare or bereavement setting.

Preferred

• Certified Social Worker or other relevant clinical license/certification.
• Funeral home or mortuary experience.
• Previous experience with patient interactions and/or providing customer service.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

Employee must be able to meet the following requirements with or without an accommodation.

• This is a sedentary position in an office setting that may exert up to 10 pounds and may lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. This position involves sitting most of the time and is not exposed to adverse environmental conditions.

Carrying, Climbing, Color Determination, Crawling, Lifting, Listening, Manual Dexterity, Near Vision, Pulling and/or Pushing, Reaching, Sitting, Speaking, Standing, Stooping and Crouching, Walking