Discharge Specialist

Unit Summary

Step into a job that opens countless doors. As one of Canada’s largest and most diverse hospitals, we’re providing advanced care to people of all ages from across the province. You can explore advancement opportunities, take professional development courses, and stretch yourself as a leader, all at HHS. We are the largest employer in the greater Hamilton region, and play a vital role in training the next generation of health professionals in collaboration with our academic partners, including McMaster University and Mohawk College. Hamilton Health Sciences is a hospital system of 18,000 staff, physicians, researchers and volunteers that proudly serves south central Ontario residents. We also provide specialized, advanced care to people from across the province.

The Transitions Team supports complex discharge planning and care transitions for patients across HHS' acute and post-acute sites. Generally, patients transferred from acute HHS sites to post-acute are waiting for: Home with Home Care supports, Transitional Care, Long-Term Care or require time to convalesce after an acute care admission.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Manager of Transformation, the Discharge Specialist is a health professional who takes a leadership consultant role in the development and implementation of comprehensive plan of community care for complex cases and quality improvement work related to our ALC work plan with HCCSS and HHS. The role provides clinical consultation around complex discharge planning. Other responsibilities include: constantly evaluating the community care needs of patients within an interdisciplinary framework in order to achieve an individualized, safe and well-coordinated discharge plan; determining ongoing medical, technological, rehabilitative, psychosocial and financial resource needs; negotiating with community service providers to ensure optimal delivery of community resources; evaluating outcomes to ensure quality and continuity of care; and effectively utilizing resources to achieve cost-effective health care. The Transitional Care and Discharge Specialist integrates research and practice and creates, utilizes and disseminates knowledge.

Schedule Work Hours

Monday to Friday, days

This position is temporary until March 2027.

Qualifications

1. Regulated Health Care Professional with varied experience in acute, long term and community programs
2. Minimum 5 years of related clinical experience including: clinical expertise, resource management, quality
improvement, case management and discharge planning
3. Computer office support software knowledge including databases, spreadsheets and presentation software
4. Basic knowledge of utilization management including CMG's, EDD, LOS, and benchmarking
5. Demonstrated knowledge of adult education principles
6. Established network of internal and external resource contacts
7. Excellent communication, presentation, time management and organizational skills
8. Excellent critical thinking, problem solving, decision making and conflict resolution skills
9. Strong leadership, interpersonal, negotiating, consensus-building and teaching skills
10. Demonstrated willingness and ability to learn new skills and support change management
11. Demonstrated dedication to continuing education, the continuous improvement process and evaluation
12. Masters level degree preferred

Hamilton Health Sciences fosters a culture of patient and staff safety, whereby all employees are guided by our Mission, Vision, Values, and Values Based Code of Conduct. Hamilton Health Sciences is a teaching hospital and all staff and physicians are expected to support students and other learners.

To be considered for this opportunity applicants must apply during the posting period. All internal and external applicants may ONLY apply via the Careers website. This job posting is for an existing vacancy.

Hamilton Health Sciences is an equal opportunity employer and we will accommodate any needs under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and the Ontario Human Rights Code. Hiring processes will be modified to remove barriers to accommodate those with disabilities, if requested. Should any applicant require accommodation through the application processes, please contact Human Resources at 905-521-2100, Ext. 46947 for assistance. If the applicant requires a specific accommodation because of a disability during an interview, the applicant will need to advise the hiring manager when scheduling the interview and the appropriate accommodations can be made.

This competition is open to all qualified applicants, however, qualified internal applicants will be considered first. Past performance will be considered as part of the selection process. If you are a previous employee of Hamilton Health Sciences, please note: the circumstances around an employee's exit will be considered prior to an offer of employment. Proficiency in both Official Languages, French and English, is considered an asset.