Insights - Winter 2010 - (Page 41)

A Social Worker Sits in for an Office Manager By Sherri Weisenfluh, LCSW, ACHP-SW referral is not entered into the computer. I need to talk with staff from Medical Records for assistance. The Pikeville office is our smallest office. I wonder what it would be like to work as the office manager in one of our larger offices? In addition to answering phone calls, the office managers at Hospice of the Bluegrass enter referrals into the computer, process the mail, assist with filing for medical records, fax information to other healthcare providers and do that portion of a job description commonly known as “other duties as assigned.” I feel certain I am overlooking other job duties. I have traveled to Pikeville to serve as an acting director, sent to help fill in while our agency continues to search for a new director. The phones are ringing the minute I walk in the door and it doesn’t take long for me to figure out that the continued on next page... “H ello, Hospice of the Bluegrass, Pikeville Office, how can I help you?” My current role is overseeing the counseling programs for Hospice of the Bluegrass, but today I am answering the phones and working as the office manager. Normally, Belinda McKinney is sitting in this chair, making the job look easy. Today, however, Belinda is sick. The phone continues to ring frequently. Family members call wanting to talk to their nurse or another team member. A hospital discharge planner calls in with a referral. Staff members in the field call to follow up on patients. There are three phone lines and at times all of them are ringing. The local hospital is calling to provide additional information regarding a referral. I track down the referral form and discover that the patient was admitted last night, but the Insights 41 

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Insights - Winter 2010

Cover 1
Table of Contents
Thank You
A Philosophical Look at the IDT
Resistance to Change: Perception or Reality?
The Hospice Physician: More Involved—and More Engaged
The Role of Volunteers in Management
Complementary Therapy Innovators
Spending a Day in Their Team Member’s Shoes
Bereavement Professionals Shadow 6 Colleagues
Pharmacists and Nurses Connect
A Social Worker Sits in for an Office Manager
Clinical and Marketing Teams Shadow Each Other
Helpful Reminders for Executive Leadership
Keeping the IDT Spirit Alive
The Art of NCHPP
Using My NHPCO
Essential Guide to Hospice Management (display ad)
NHPCO Educational Offerings
Cover 2

Insights - Winter 2010

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