West Suburban Medical Center, LLC

For over 100 years, West Suburban Medical Center has supported generations of families in the Oak Park and surrounding areas. Our kind, caring hospital staff have a passion to heal and make a difference in our community. We understand that our employees are the heart of our facility. If you are looking for a family atmosphere, a company committed to professional growth and a culture that embraces our five core values of Quality. Innovation. Service. Integrity. Transparency. 

 JOB SUMMARY

Social Workers in hospitals provide frontline services to patients with conditions spanning the entire healthcare continuum. Working in concert with the multidisciplinary team, SWs sensitize providers to the social and emotional aspects of a patient’s illness. They use their case management skills to help patients and families address the social, financial, and psychological issues related to their overall health. The SW assesses the patient’s transitional care needs, performs psycho-social assessments and discharge planning relevant to the patient’s medical treatment.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS

• Patience, especially when working with challenging patients or those who may be resistant to treatment
• Interpersonal skills, including being able to relate to patients and build a strong rapport
• Empathy to identify with patients’ experiences to help them understand what is causing them to feel a certain way
• Trustworthiness to keep information confidential
• Communication skills and the ability to know when to talk and when to listen to create a safe environment for the patients
• Critical thinking to make an accurate diagnosis and recommend proper treatment

JOB DUTIES

• Performs psychosocial assessments and transitional care screens on all patients as per department and hospital policy.
• Participates in care planning based on age specific needs.
• Initiates discharge planning process within first 24 hours of admission or next business day.
• Monitors patient's length of stay in coordination with the Nurse Case Managers.  Addresses barriers to discharge and discusses with the multidisciplinary team.
• Serves as contact resource for patients, families and surrogates and meets family and/or significant others to discuss patient’s post-acute treatment needs and discharge planning according to HIPPA and hospital privacy guidelines.
• Educating patients/families on the levels of health care (i.e. acute, sub-acute, homecare, LTACH, hospice etc.), community resources and goals of care. Services may also include non-traditional health care (i.e. transportation, MOWs, homemaker services etc.). Provides the patient/family a list of facilities and services in the geographically area requested by the patient.
• Arranges essential durable medical equipment as ordered by the physician (i.e. bed, wheelchair, infusion, enteral feedings etc.).
• Sends appropriate medical information to providers as per patient preference prior to discharge in accordance with HIPPA and hospital policy.
• Understands and educates patient/family/staff that patients have the right to participate in the development and implementation of their post-acute discharge care.
• Coordinates patient/family conferences to discuss treatment plan, goals of care and post-acute needs.
• Provides consultation to staff regarding psychosocial, bioethical issues and discharge barriers as well as possible community resources.
• Attends weekly staffing rounds and provides input as appropriate.
• Assures appropriate communication with referral sources during inpatient treatment, if indicated.

West Suburban Medical Center provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.