Decedent Affairs Coordinator

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Rotating - 08 Hour (United States of America)

This is a Stanford Health Care job.

A Brief Overview
The Decedent Affairs Coordinator is responsible for coordinating the care of deceased patients after a demise within Stanford Health Care and Stanford Children's Health. This position facilitates all aspects of a deceased patient including assisting hospital staff through legal reporting requirements, providing support to families, data entry into the Electronic Death Registration System, coordinating with physicians for death certificate attestation, tissue/organ donation, required or requested autopsy arrangements, and ensuring that the decedent is released in a timely manner to the correct entities. This position provides professional support between Stanford Health Care, Stanford Children's Health, and community mortuaries and legal bodies. This position will interface with the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office and Health Department, Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder's Office, Public Administrator's offices, mortuaries, and other community agencies. The Decedent Affairs Coordinator will interact with physicians, nursing staff, Pathology Department, police, medical examiner, risk management, security, etc. to ensure timely and appropriate disposition in accordance with the mission and values of the hospitals.

Locations
Stanford Health Care

What you will do

• Manages the activities of patient deaths from time of death to release of remains from SHC and LPCH. This includes management of complex and sensitive cases of demise as well as coordination of workflows related to fetal demises and perinatal losses.
• Collaborates with physicians, nursing staff, police, Santa Clara County Medical Examiner-Coroner's Office, Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder's Office, Pathology Department, risk management, etc. to ensure timely disposition with the least liability to the hospital.
• Next of Kin Determination & Family Determination and Support: Reviews all death cases and provides pertinent and clear information to the family of the deceased and provides consultation regarding autopsy, disposition, and social services.
• Serves as primary point of contact for family and other associated parties during and after a patient's death for all issues related to disposition/ funeral home releases.
• Consults with Spiritual Care Services and refer as needed for grief support and religious/cultural needs.
• Responsible for obtaining valid consent and following up regarding desire for autopsy when necessary.
• For patients who have no listed next-of-kin or emergency contacts, refer to the county Public Administrator as appropriate.
• Coordinates morgue admissions and removals and ensures compliance.
• Performs EDRS/ FDRS entry of death certificate records, ensuring accurate and timely completion. Works with provider teams to complete physician attestations.
• Provides 'just in time' education at the facilities, supporting staff and families surrounding all inpatient deaths.
• Serves as the contact person(s) for Donor Network West (DNW) representatives regarding donation of tissues and organs.
• Documentation & Internal Communications: Documents timely and accurate information to ensure complex case management. Manages the complex and sensitive decedent affairs process and communicates information to Decedent Affairs team. Acts as liaison between mortuaries and our hospitals.
• Conducts in-service training for hospital staff and clinicians about issues related to the Decedent Affairs Office per request as needed.
• Coordinates Release of Remains documentation as well as autopsy and donor network holds.
• Serves as liaison with SOM Anatomical Gift Program and SHC Autopsy department and a decedent's legal next-of-kin researchers concerning procurement of tissue and specimens solely based on opportunities for scientific research.
• Monitor compliance with all regulations related to decedent care.
• Convene regular meetings with Decedent Care Team stakeholders and continue improvement efforts.
• Management of decedent affairs storage, contracts, and reporting.

Education Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field (preferred)

Experience Qualifications

• Minimum four (4) years of experience in healthcare or bereavement setting (required)
• Funeral home/mortuary/healthcare decedent care experience (preferred)
• Previous experience in patient satisfaction/customer service (preferred)

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated human relations and effective verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent problem solving and conflict resolution skills
• Attention to detail is critical
• Strong coordination and organizational skills required to prioritize deadlines
• Knowledge of medical terminology/bereavement training preferred
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Ability to interpret and analyze clinical data and medical records
• Ability to navigate EDRS, FDRS, Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook
• This position provides independent coordination and decision making for all activities of a specified program
• Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS/FRDS) experience/ certification strongly preferred.

Licenses and Certifications

• LCSW - Licensed Medical Social Worker - State Licensure preferred
• CAFD - CA Funeral Director License preferred

These principles apply to ALL employees:

SHC Commitment to Providing an Exceptional Patient & Family Experience

Stanford Health Care sets a high standard for delivering value and an exceptional experience for our patients and families. Candidates for employment and existing employees must adopt and execute C-I-CARE standards for all of patients, families and towards each other. C-I-CARE is the foundation of Stanford's patient-experience and represents a framework for patient-centered interactions. Simply put, we do what it takes to enable and empower patients and families to focus on health, healing and recovery.

You will do this by executing against our three experience pillars, from the patient and family's perspective:

• Know Me: Anticipate my needs and status to deliver effective care
• Show Me the Way: Guide and prompt my actions to arrive at better outcomes and better health
• Coordinate for Me: Own the complexity of my care through coordination

Equal Opportunity Employer Stanford Health Care (SHC) strongly values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination in all of its policies and practices, including the area of employment. Accordingly, SHC does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity and/or expression, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, veteran status, or disability, or the perception of any of the above. People of all genders, members of all racial and ethnic groups, people with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Qualified applicants with criminal convictions will be considered after an individualized assessment of the conviction and the job requirements.