JOB SUMMARY:
The Decedent Affairs Coordinator for Decedent Affairs assists in planning, coordinating and executing programs with some guidance.

DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:

Decedent Affairs is the designated point of contact for ongoing questions or concerns following the death of a patient. All of the technical and business aspects of reporting a death are handled by this office.

We verify that all documentation is complete and coordinate the appropriate disposition for every deceased patient on a 24/7 basis. We are available to families and staff to answer questions they have following a death.

We work with both internal departments and external agencies to assure all documentation and actions are complete prior to release of a deceased patient.

YOUR ROLE:

Patient Disposition and Release:

• Collaborate with Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUH), Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital (VCH), and Vanderbilt Regional Hospitals to take report of death and confirm completion of all notification and documentation prior to release for every deceased patient.
• Responsible for coordinating and release of deceased patients from VUH and VCH to include, but not limited to: coordinating with Funeral Home, Medical Examiner, Tennessee Donor Services, Metro Social Services or family, ensuring timely release of decedent. Obtain proper identification and signatures upon release.
• Responsible for updating and confirming accuracy of all morgue logs.
• Coordinates completion of disposition authorizing cremation when appropriate.
• Coordinate release of patient belongings.
• Communicate with next of kin to answer questions related to release of the deceased patient.

Death Certificate Administration:

• Initiate and complete all death certificates in the state (VRISM) system when a patient expires at Vanderbilt locations to include, but not limited to: confirming and accurately transcribing patient demographics, ensuring the physician completes appropriate sections and signs / certifies and coordinating with appropriate funeral home or health department for filing.
• Partner with Tennessee Department of Health to ensure Vanderbilt compliance with Vital Records Information Management System (VRISM), Vanderbilt physician enrollment and act as liaison between Vanderbilt physicians and Tennessee Department of Health.
• Complete other activities related to death certificates to include, but not limited to: prepare reporting from EMR, completion of affidavits, coordinate delayed diagnosis completion and act as liaison with external entities and Vanderbilt physicians related to deaths outside of the Vanderbilt system.

POSITION SHIFT:

Day shift 6:30 AM- 7:00 PM - (3) x 12 hour shifts; every other weekend required

View how Vanderbilt Health employees celebrate the difference they make every day:

Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of diverse individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health recognizes that diversity is essential for excellence and innovation. We are committed to an inclusive environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your diversity of culture, thinking, learning, and leading is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt's mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

Vanderbilt Health recognizes that diversity is essential for excellence and innovation. We are committed to an inclusive environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and to the principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action. EOE/AA/Women/Minority/Vets/Disabled

Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center:

Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded and your abilities challenged. It is a place where your diversity -- of culture, thinking, learning and leading -- is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt's mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

VUMC Recent Accomplishments

Because we are committed to providing the best in patient care, education and research, we are proud of our recent accomplishments:

• US News & World Report: #1 Adult Hospital in Tennessee and metropolitan Nashville, named to the Best Hospitals Honor Roll of the top 20 adult hospitals, 10 nationally ranked adult specialty programs, with 3 specialties rated in the top 10 nationally, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt named as one of the Best Children's Hospital in the nation, with 10 out of 10 pediatric specialties nationally ranked.
• Healthcare's Most Wired: Among the nation's 100 "most-wired" hospitals and health systems for its efforts in innovative medical technology.
• Becker's Hospital Review: named as one of the "100 Great Hospitals in America", in the roster of 100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Oncology Programs and to its list of the 100 Hospitals with Great Heart Programs.
• The Leapfrog Group: One of only 10 children's hospitals in the to be named at Leapfrog Top Hospital.
• American Association for the Advancement of Science: The School of Medicine has 112 elected fellows
• Magnet Recognition Program: Received our third consecutive Magnet designations.
• National Academy of Medicine: 22 members, elected by their peers in recognition of outstanding achievement
• Human Rights Campaign Healthcare Equality Index: 6^th year in a row that Vanderbilt University Medical Center was a Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Include but not limited to answering the DA office phone and pager. Return calls and emails in a timely manner. Monitor Decedent Affairs dashboard and mark EMR when documentation completed.

• Elevate issues/concerns to Department Manager.

• Partnering with pathology to confirm completion of consent to perform autopsy, timing of autopsy and release, and triaging operational issues as they arise.

• Provide support to VUH Patient Transport Department completing patient transports when hospital is at capacity and at the request of senior leadership

• Document / scan information into the patients EMR related to disposition location. Enter disclosures in EMR for all deceased patients.

• Facilitate access to the morgue for repairs as needed.

• Creating and maintaining professional and effective relationships with both internal (i.e. Vanderbilt staff) and external customers (i.e. funeral homes, mortuary transport, etc.).

• Maintain Office Supplies / Inventory.

• Attend / Complete assigned training.

• The responsibilities listed are a general overview of the position and additional duties may be assigned.

Bachelor's Degree (or equivalent experience) and < 1 year relevant experience

Licensure, Certification, and/or Registration (LCR):

• Physical Requirements/Strengths needed & Physical Demands:
  
  • Sedentary category requiring exertion up to 10 lbs. of force occasionally and uses negligible amounts of force to move objects. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time.
  
  
  Movement
  
  • Occasional: Standing: Remaining on one's feet without moving.
  • Occasional: Walking: Moving about on foot.
  • Occasional: Lifting under 35 lbs: Raising and lowering objects under 35 lbs from one level to another
  • Occasional: Carrying under 35 lbs: Transporting an object holding in hands, arms or shoulders, with help of coworkers or assistive device.
  • Occasional: Push/Pull: Exerting force to move objects away from or toward.
  • Occasional: Reaching above shoulders: Extending arms in any direction above shoulders.
  • Frequent: Sitting: Remaining in seated position
  • Frequent: Reaching below shoulders: Extending arms in any direction below shoulders.
  • Frequent: Fingering: Picking, pinching, gripping, working primarily with fingers requiring fine manipulation.
  • Frequent: Bimanual Dexterity: Requiring the use of both hands.
  
  
  Sensory
  
  • Continuous: Communication: Expressing or exchanging written/verbal/electronic information.
  • Continuous: Auditory: Perceiving the variances of sounds, tones and pitches and able to focus on single source of auditory information
  • Continuous: Vision: Clarity of near vision at 20 inches or less and far vision at 20 feet or more with depth perception, peripheral vision, color vision.
  • Continuous: Smell: Ability to detect and identify odors.
  
  
  Environmental Conditions
  
  • Occasional: Chemicals and Gasses: Medications, cleaning chemicals, oxygen, other medical gases used in work area.