Career Center

The Occupational Therapy Senior Specialist is responsible for providing evaluations and treatment, using sound professional practices as defined by the standards of the American Occupational Therapy Association, to individuals needing occupational therapy services, as well as performance of administrative and supervisory duties as assigned.Job

Responsibilities:

Prioritizes and completes clinical assessments of patients across service areas. Evaluation procedures are exceptionally comprehensive and/or specialized across service areas. Develops proposals for new evaluation procedures in accordance with changes in policy and procedure.

• Reviews relevant background information pertaining to patients' problems and function.

• Meets service area productivity standards for number of evaluations completed. Assists co-workers in completion of evaluations as schedule permits. Exceeds service area productivity standards for number of evaluations completed. Pursues/provides new referral sources.

• Interprets evaluation results and makes sound clinical recommendations regarding treatment.

• Formulates realistic, objective functional short- and long-term goals that are patient and/or caregiver-specific and are consistent with results of evaluation.

• Presents results of initial evaluation and follow-up evaluations to patients/families/caregivers, treatment team, and/or other individuals involved in the patients' care; Conducts special research pertaining to individual patient diagnosis and treatment and presents new information to patient.

• Conducts re-evaluations when clinically indicated and/or required by external regulatory, professional, and/or reimbursement authorities.

• Provides safe and effective treatment across service areas in order to achieve identified goals. Treatment is exceptionally comprehensive and/or specialized across service areas.

• Meets service area productivity standards for number of treatments provided. Exceeds service-specific productivity standards by at least 5%. Achieves positive treatment outcomes in shorter than average LOS/duration of treatment.

• Observes patients' response to treatment during sessions and modifies methods, techniques, and/or goals as needed.

• Provides patients with individualized home treatment activities and instructions for completing them during their hospital stay.

• Coordinates services with other health care providers. Acts as a liaison between the Therapy Connection and key personnel from other disciplines and/or facilities.
• Identifies discharge goals and criteria, methods for achieving them, and possible barriers to goal achievement at the time of initial evaluation.

• Modifies criteria as needed as patients achieve progress in treatment.

• Discharges patients from program across service areas with appropriate referrals and recommendations when discharge criteria are met and/or they are determined to be unachievable. Discharge planning is exceptionally comprehensive and/or specialized across service areas.

• Communicates with patients regarding scheduled appointments, identifying changes in medical status, and/or other issues that may interfere with goal achievement as needed throughout the episode of care.

• Explains all treatment methods, goals, discharge criteria, and plans beginning at the time of initial evaluation and throughout treatment.

• Provides individualized, detailed instructions for home treatment programs, including the activities to be completed, their duration and frequency.

• Integrates verbal presentations of information with printed material or electronic media, handouts and/or models.

• Provides opportunities for questions and discussion of all clinical information, ascertains patient understanding, and assists patients to establish realistic expectations.

• Completes clinical documentation in a timely and accurate manner in accordance with the requirements of the department and with external accrediting and reimbursement authorities.

• Accurately completes and submits required non-clinical documentation, including billing, scheduling, coverage/hand-off information, and letters to patients regarding missed or cancelled visits in a timely manner.

• Utilizes professional and technically correct terminology.

• Consistently utilizes approved abbreviations.
• Supervises Occupational Therapy staff as assigned, including timely completion of their performance appraisals. Provides primary supervision to more than one Occupational Therapy staff member.

• Attends and actively participates in all departmental and service area meetings, training programs, and other professional activities. Attends two or more external continuing education courses. Performs special tasks related to departmental performance improvement projects.

• Maintains current licensure in accordance with NYSED and NBCOT continuing education requirements.

• Maintains all Hospital-required certifications in accordance with external accrediting and reimbursement authorities, including Basic Life Support and Stroke Certification via the American Heart Association as well as FIM Certification via UDS-PRO for maintenance of CARF Accreditation.

• Promotes/advocates for the profession. Regularly provides input regarding the modification of departmental policies and procedures. Participates in clinical research. Establishes external relationships that support departmental or Hospital initiatives. Maintains Board Certification in one or more specialty areas of practice.

• Presents departmental or service area in-service in area of expertise once yearly to other staff and/or students. Presents at least one additional departmental or service area in-service.

• Assumes primary responsibility for an ongoing QA or other project /staff development activity. Assumes primary responsibility for two or more QA projects or activities.

• Coordinates effectively with key personnel from other disciplines in absence of Coordinator or Manager. Acts as primary liaison in absence of Coordinator or Manager.

Experience:

o Employee has five or more years of experience as a Licensed Occupational Therapist and/or certification in a specialty area or technique, including two years of clinical supervisory experience.

Education:

o Graduation from an accredited program with Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree, and/or Doctor in Occupational Therapy as an Occupational Therapist.

Licenses/Certifications:

o New York State license to practice as an Occupational Therapist.

Other:

o If applicable, the individual performing this job may reasonably anticipate coming into contact with human blood and other potentially infectious materials. Individuals in this position are required to exercise universal precautions, use personal protective equipment and devices, and learn the policies concerning infection control.o Must demonstrate ability to form effective working relationships with hospital personnel, multidisciplinary team, patients and families.

About Us:

MidHudson Regional Hospital

MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie, NY, is home to the mid-Hudson Valley's most advanced healthcare services. This 243-bed facility cares for more than 10,000 inpatients annually while performing an additional 325,000 outpatient procedures each year. MidHudson Regional Hospital operates the area's only Level II trauma center, is home to the Redl Center for Cancer Care and Center for Robotic Surgery, and is a destination hospital for patients with serious illnesses and injuries.

Benefits: