Nurse Case Manager - Optum Tucson Remote

Optum Home & Community Care, part of the UnitedHealth Group family of businesses, is creating something new in health care. We are uniting industry-leading solutions to build an integrated care model that holistically addresses an individual’s physical, mental and social needs – helping patients access and navigate care anytime and anywhere.

As a team member of our Landmark product, we help bring home-based medical care to complex, chronic patients. This life-changing work helps give older adults more days at home.

We’re connecting care to create a seamless health journey for patients across care settings. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

***Must be located in the greater Tucson area where you will work remotely, and attend monthly team meetings onsite in Tucson, and quarterly team meetings onsite in the greater Phoenix Metro area. ***

The Nurse Care Manager (NCM) is an integral part of the Interdisciplinary Care Team (IDT) and is responsible for the overall care management process for high acuity engaged patients. The NCM has oversight for developing, managing, and coordinating patients’ plan of care to include medical and psychosocial needs and patient-centered goals. The NCM works with patients/caregivers to maintain and improve health status by providing care coordination, health education, guidance and support for medical and psychosocial complex chronic conditions. Professionals in this role elicit input from the IDT based on initial and ongoing comprehensive assessments of the patient.

The NCM uses nursing assessment, evaluation skills, data and reports to guide care planning decisions for the patient. They are skilled at navigating the patients’ health plan benefits to identify providers, resources and vendors that provide required care and services. The NCM works collaboratively with the IDT to provide appropriate, effective, high quality, and cost-effective care to engaged patients in their current residence. If a patient requires care outside their residence, the NCM collaborates with community-based service providers to ensure coordinated care during critical times of transition between health care settings and home.

In addition to the NCM, the Home-based Medical Care IDT includes but not limited to, physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurse care managers, behavioral health clinicians, social workers, pharmacists, dietitian/nutritionists, ambassadors, care coordinators, the patient and/or caregiver and family.

If you are located within greater Tucson area, you will have the flexibility to work remotely* as you take on some tough challenges.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Acts as an advocate for the patient
• Engages and collaborates with patient/caregiver and providers to develop an individualized Care Plan that addresses disease management, health promotion, and patient-centered goals
• Monitors patient progress against Care Plan goals with an emphasis on patient care needs during times of transition in care setting and changes in health status
• Identifies barriers to achieving Care Plan goals and collaborates with patient/caregiver as well as IDT to overcome barriers to success
• Understands and adheres to regulatory timeframes and standards required by National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) within a Delegated Case Management market and Dual & Chronic Special Needs Plans (SNP)
• Provides disease management, health promotion and prevention education to patients/caregivers and/or family patients to manage disease progression and encourage proper medical testing, so patient can remain as independent as possible
• Completes initial and ongoing patient assessment, using information gathered from patient/caregiver/family, providers, Home-based Medical Care EMR, and available medical records
• Manages and coordinates care and services within an Interdisciplinary Team
• Manages incoming clinical calls to ensure patients’ medical concerns are addressed by the care team in a timely manner
• Participates in and documents advance directive conversations with patient/caregiver and/or family, and collaborates to reconcile patient/caregiver goals with the current clinical status
• Coordinates care needs across the continuum of care and is the point of contact for patient/caregiver and clinicians
• Leads daily IDT Huddle
• Actively participates in Home-based Medical Care meetings and education sessions
• Acts as liaison between providers, nursing facilities, hospitals and program staff, including making recommendations about care alternatives
• Facilitates/coordinates admission to a recommended level of care on a temporary or permanent basis
• Promotes patient safety. Reviews or initiates a home safety, functional assessment, and/or falls risk assessment with home-based providers to determine need for adaptive equipment. Assists with acquisition of assistive equipment, as recommended
• Monitors patient during admissions and provides nursing/assisted living facility and provider training on Home-based Medical Care program philosophy and approach to patient care
• Supports patients during transitions of care through assessment, coordination of care, education of the plan of care and evaluation of the effectiveness of the plan
• Identifies and reports any potential quality-of-care issues to Clinical Supervisor/HSD, so a plan of improvement can be developed and implemented, as needed
• At times, the NCM may visit a patient in their home for education or assessment, Market/State dependent
• Maintains HIPAA compliance at all times

You’ll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications:

• RN License in the State(s) where you will practice. RN License must be current, active, unrestricted and unencumbered
• Compact RN license
• 3+ years of clinical practice in a hospital, home care, hospice, clinic, nursing home or similar setting
• Electronic Medical Record documentation experience
• Proficient in patient-centered Care Plan creation and active management
• Proven computer skills: internet navigation, Microsoft Office - Outlook, Word and Excel

Preferred Qualifications:

• BSN
• CCM Certification
• Case Management experience
• Disease state management experience with solid ability to educate patients on health and wellness
• Population Health management experience
• Proven ability to manage a patient caseload using data and reports

• All employees working remotely will be required to adhere to UnitedHealth Group’s Telecommuter Policy

At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. We believe everyone–of every race, gender, sexuality, age, location and income–deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life. Today, however, there are still far too many barriers to good health which are disproportionately experienced by people of color, historically marginalized groups and those with lower incomes. We are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and enabling and delivering equitable care that addresses health disparities and improves health outcomes — an enterprise priority reflected in our mission.

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected.

UnitedHealth Group is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.