Platinum Business Corporation, provides experienced and committed health care personnel and related health care services to the federal government and private industry. EEO  www.platinumcorporation.com  

Outstanding Registered Nurse, RN Utilization Management Opportunity at Keesler AFB, MS!

Come Join Our Team of health care providers at Keesler AFB and experience the immense pride others have discovered in caring for Military Members, their Families and Retired Military Veterans!   

* Excellent Compensation & Comprehensive Benefits! 

* Full Time Position Days, Monday - Friday! 

* NO Weekends! NO Call! NO Holidays!

* PTO! 10 Paid Federal Holidays!  

* Annual CME Stipend

* Malpractice Insurance Provided!

POSITION SUMMARY: Provides Utilization Management activities and functions by using MTF-specific Quality Improvement processes to identify areas for review from data, suspected problem areas, and input from departments/services within the facility. Prioritizes accordingly based on high dollar, high volume or problem prone diagnoses. Identifies gaps between desired and actual program outcomes and develops an action plan to fix gaps. Determines effectiveness of the plan and continually evaluates the impact of implementation. Incorporates applicable utilization review tasks to ensure patients receive the right care, at the right time, in the right place, with the right provider, at the right cost. Collaborates with staff, facility departments, and outside agencies to determine the best, most cost-efficient care.

DUTIES: The duties include but are not limited to the following:

* Develops and implements a comprehensive Utilization Management plan/program in accordance with the facility’s goals and objectives.

* Performs data/metrics collection on identified program areas; analyzes and trends results, including over- and underutilization of healthcare resources. Identifies areas for improvement and cost containment. Reports utilization patterns and provides feedback in a timely manner.

* Analyzes medical referrals/appointments and general hospital procedures and regulations by monitoring specialty care referrals for appropriateness, covered benefits, and authorized surgery/medical procedures, laboratory, radiology and pharmacy.

* Performs medical necessity review for planned inpatient and outpatient surgery; and performs concurrent review to include length of stay (LOS) for the facility’s inpatients using appropriate criteria.

* Reviews previous and present medical care practices for patterns; trends incidents of under-or over-utilization of resources incidental to providing medical care.

* Acts as referral approval authority for designated referrals per local/AF/DoD/national guidance and standards. Refers all first-level review failures to the SGH or other POC for further review and disposition.

* Verifies eligibility of beneficiaries using Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System

(DEERS). Obtains pertinent information from patients/callers and updates data in CHCS,

AHLTA, local referral database, and other office automation software programs as appropriate and directed.

* Ensures and monitors specialty care referrals for appropriateness, medical necessity, and if the appointment, diagnostic testing, or procedure requested is a covered benefit according to appropriate health plan. If unsure, coordinates with TRICARE Regional Office

Clinical Liaison Nurse or reviews TRICARE Operations Manual.

* Receives and makes patient telephone calls, written, or e-mail correspondence regarding specialty clinic appointments and referrals following MTF-specific processes.

* Routinely monitors referral management Composite Health Care System (CHCS) queue to ensure patients referrals are appointed and closed out.

* Ensures Line of Duty paperwork is on file prior to authorization for all reserve and guard member referrals.

* Keeps abreast of MTF and local market services and capabilities. Updates capability report as needed/directed.

* Conducts referral reconciliation report as directed, identifying all open referrals and provides notification to appropriate personnel for resolution.

* Monitors active duty, reserve/guard admissions to civilian hospitals and notifies Case

Manager and Patient Administration Element as required.

* Serves as a liaison with headquarters, TRICARE regional offices, MTF staff and professional organizations concerning Utilization Management practices.

* Collaborates with staff/departments, including, but not limited to: Executive

Management, Resource Management, Medical Records, Patient Administration, Group

Practice Managers, Health Care Integrators, Coders/Coding Auditors, Population Health

Nurse Consultants, Medical Management, Referral Management, TRICARE Operations, patient care teams, Quality Improvement, and the Managed Care Support Contractors.

* Coordinates and participates in interdisciplinary team meetings, designated facility meetings, and Care Coordination meetings. Shares knowledge and experiences gained from own clinical practice and education relevant to nursing and utilization management.

* Participates in the orientation, education and training of other staff. May serve on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility. May serve as a member of the

Prime Service Area Executive Council (PSAEC).

* Must maintain a level of productivity and quality consistent with: complexity of the assignment; facility policies and guidelines; established principles, ethics and standards of practice of professional nursing; the Case Management Society of America (CMSA);

American Accreditation Healthcare Commission/Utilization Review Accreditation Commission

(URAC); CAMH; (AAAHC); Health Services Inspection (HSI); and other applicable DoD and

Service specific guidance and policies. Must also comply with the Equal Employment

Opportunity (EEO) Program, infection control and safety policies and procedures.

* Follows applicable local MTF/AF/DoD instructions, policies and guidelines.

* Completes medical record documentation and coding, and designated tracking logs and data reporting as required by local MTF/AF/DoD instructions, policies and guidance.

* Completes all required electronic medical record training, MTF-specific orientation and training programs, and any AF/DoD mandated Utilization Management training.

* Ensures a safe work environment, employee safe work habits and patient safety IAW regulatory agencies, infection control policies, and process improvement initiatives. Promote and contribute quality performance, performance improvement programs, and nursing practice in a setting that supports professional practice and sets a positive example; identify and deliver excellence in the delivery of nursing services and care to patients/residents; introduces and disseminates best practices in nursing services. Proactively identifies process issues that could lead to negative patient outcomes and participates in the appropriate safety reporting processes for the facility.

* Working knowledge of the military health care system including TRICARE health benefits (is preferred).

* Education: Shall be a graduate from an associate (ADN) or baccalaureate degree (BSN) program in nursing accredited by a national nursing accrediting agency recognized by the US Department of Education.

* Licensure: Maintain an active, valid, current, and unrestricted license (with no limitations, stipulations or pending adverse actions) to practice nursing as a registered nurse in any US state/jurisdiction.

* Experience: 1) Must have at least 36 months of total nursing experience in a direct patient care clinical setting.  2) Must have utilization management, utilization review or case management experience for 24 recent consecutive months.  

* Certification: 1) Certified OR certification eligible in relevant specialty, such as Certified Managed Care Nurse through the American Board of Managed Care Nurses or Certified Informatics Nursing, Ambulatory Care Nursing, Medical-Surgical Nursing or Nursing Case Management through the American Nurses Credentialing Center  2) Maintain current certification in Basic Life Support (BLS) by the American Heart Association.

* Must be a U.S citizen and have the ability to pass a background check/security clearance. 

* Other Mandatory Knowledge and Skills: 

1) Must have knowledge of medical privacy and confidentiality (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act [HIPAA]), and accreditation standards of Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), The Joint Commission (TJC), and Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs)

2) Must have a working knowledge of computer applications/software to include Microsoft Office programs, MS Outlook (e-mail) and internet familiarity

3) Must have a working knowledge of Ambulatory Procedure Grouping (APGs), Diagnostic Related Grouping (DRGs), International Classification of Diseases-Current Version (ICD), and Current Procedural Terminology-Current Version (CPT) coding; and McKesson (InterQual) and/or Milliman Care Guidelines

4) Must have experience in Patient Advocacy, Patient Privacy, and Customer Relations.

5) Must be able to perform prospective, concurrent, and retrospective reviews to justify medical necessity for requested medical care and to aid in collection and recovery from multiple insurance carriers

6) Must be able to collect clinical data from inpatient and outpatient sources; provide documentation for appeals or grievance resolution; apply critical thinking skills and expertise in resolving complicated healthcare, social, interpersonal and financial patient situations; apply problem-solving techniques to articulate medical requirements to patients, families/care givers, medical and non-medical staff in a professional and courteous way

Staffing and Scheduling:

* Usual duty schedule is an 8-hour shift between the hours of 0700 – 1600 Monday - Friday, to include an uncompensated one-hour lunch.