Speech-Language Pathologist- Verdugo

POSITION

DESCRIPTION:

To provide direct patient care and support activities which build and maintain the outstanding outcomes of the therapy department.

Provides treatment programs to maximize speech, language, cognitive, and swallowing abilities within each patient’s structural or functional limitations; including, but not limited to: evaluates and treats patients, communicates with families, physicians and other interdisciplinary team members, documents services in the medical records. Contributes to professional development of self and others. Enhances interdisciplinary team through professional skills and knowledge. Demonstrates safe working practices.

Provides patient treatments, which meet patient needs, and uses current treatment knowledge in accordance with facility clinical procedures.

This includes but is not limited to:

• Performing accurate, comprehensive evaluations.
• Developing effective plan of treatment and obtaining appropriate approvals from referring physician.
• Utilizing appropriate evaluation tools and completing accurate evaluations.
• Communicating with supervisor and other health team members regarding patient progress, problems, and plans.
• Instructing patients’ families or nursing staff in specified follow through programs.
• Interviewing patients and families regarding previous level of functioning and life style and current and future expectations.
• Demonstrating knowledge of appropriate resources for problem-solving and clinical best practice.
• Evaluating patients within facility-specific time frame.
• Supervising Clinical Fellow and other SLPs in direct patient care and patient related activities.

Writes accurate, complete, and clear documentation in accordance with regulatory, licensing, payer, and accrediting requirements. This includes but is not limited to:

• Recording Resident Needs Reviews, evaluations, daily treatment notes, progress notes, and discharge summaries in accordance with facility procedures.
• Recording treatment charges and insuring that documentation is consistent with billing data.
• Writing specific, objective documentation, which is outcome oriented and details the patient’s needs, potential to benefit from treatment, and progress achieved to date. Includes specific, objective measurable goals.
• Managing Medicare Medical Review and Denials process in conjunction with Director of Rehabilitation, the facility team, and therapy staff.
• Acquiring and documenting consents/approvals for treatment when necessary.

Consistently demonstrates facility’s interdisciplinary approach to patient care. This includes but is not limited to:

• Integrating findings of other members of the interdisciplinary team in treatment assessment and recommendations.
• Integrating input from patient and family in treatment assessment and recommendations.
• Preparing for and providing meaningful contributions to the rehab team conferences, patient care conferences, utilization review meetings, family conferences, and caregiver training sessions.
• Collaborating with and informing facility staff in areas of patient progress.
• Educating members of the team in areas of expertise.
• Working with facility to teach documentation practices, which assist the therapy team.
• Communicating effectively with discharge planners.

Contributes to professional development of self and others
. This includes but is not limited to:

• Utilizing continuing education assistance to achieve targeted quality improvements.
• Interacting with peer therapist at local acute hospitals and other environments, if appropriate.
• Presenting effectively at weekly rehab team conferences, facility in-services, and professional conferences.
• Maintaining current body of knowledge in areas of clinical expertise through seminars, professional journals, and peers.
• Meeting continuing education requirements of regulatory agencies.

Aids in building and maintaining a positive facility culture as a professional member of the staff. This includes but is not limited to:

• Consistently demonstrating positive core values in interacting with co-workers, patients and families, with all other persons involved with the patient’s care, and the general public.
• Consistently…