Amy Blann

Referral management nurse on-site at Reynolds Army Health Clinic at Ft. Sill, OK

Process incoming referrals placed for patients to go to specialty clinics at military treatment facilities or out to network facilities. Obtain authorization for treatment through Tricare insurance. Create patient record packet to send to authorized providers for treatment including office notes, laboratory results, radiology reports, and outside records relevant to reason for referral.

Send records out as requested by authorized network facilities or release records physically to patients with their written consent.

Assist patients in scheduling appointments within military treatment facilities or with outside network providers' offices as needed. Assist patients with other health insurance, primarily Medicare A&B, with choosing facilities to send referrals to if they have the choice.

Educate patients and family on Tricare benefits and limitations in care such as non-covered benefits, out of pocket costs, network vs non-network facilities and providers, etc.

Take calls from patients and employ one-call resolution to problems as often as possible. Assist patients in scheduling appointments, obtaining records, changing primary care manager, changing insurance coverage, etc.

Communicate with clinic nursing and physician staff regarding referrals including clarifying diagnoses, requesting additional testing or documentation, educating on medical necessity of treatments, educating on limitations of Tricare coverage, and notifying of currently existing referrals for same problems. Communicate to physicians when patients are needing updated referrals or when patients need to change providers on referrals.

Timekeeping duties in ATAAPS and DMHRSi military software. Place timecards for employees who are absent, on leave, or did not place them on time. Make updates to timecards as needed.

Outpatient neurosurgery clinic within Comanche County Memorial Hospital.

Check patients in for appointments and perform intake examination with EMR documentation. Obtained vital signs, medical history, surgical history, family medical history, social history, and reconciled medication list with patient during appointment.

Scribed for physicians while seeing patients including physical exam, findings on imaging or other testing, diagnosis coding, and ordering treatments and testing for patients.

Gave patients pre-operative and post-operative education verbally and with paper forms which were created by myself in accordance with physician recommendations.

Maintain clean and orderly clinic waiting area and examination rooms in accordance with facility policies on sanitization.

Inventory and order medical supplies for clinic.

Take phone messages from patients and relay between physicians and patients. Call patients to inform of appointments being scheduled, rescheduled, or cancelled. Make post-operative appointments for patients in accordance to what procedure they had. Assisted in notifying patients of surgery dates and times with surgical coordinator.

Performed nurse visits primarily for post-operative appointments for suture or staple removal and surgical incision checks.

Filled out paperwork for patients in relation to surgery to include FMLA, short-term disability, work restrictions, activity profiles for military personnel, etc.

Pull records from outside facilities, inpatient stays, or emergency department visits and upload into patient's chart for physicians to review at appointment.

Assisted front desk staff with checking patients in and out for appointments.

Medical-surgical floor with 24 beds. Specialized in orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery post-operative care.

Typical assignment of 4-6 patients under guidance of a registered nurse.

Provide bedside care to include typical nursing assistant duties when they were not available.

Medication administration with EMAR via oral, intravenous, intramuscular, and subcutaneous routes.

Initiate intravenous access and maintain with saline flushing, dressing changes, tubing changes per facility policy, and site changes per facility policy.

Taking vital signs as ordered by physician or per facility standing order.

Perform daily head-to-toe assessments, admission assessments, and discharge assessments and document into EMAR with co-signature by registered nurse. Monitor and document vital signs, intake, and output.

Hourly rounding on patients or as needed when requested via call light or monitoring efficacy of treatments administered per care plan and physician's orders.

Perform wound care per physician's orders and assist with wound care staff with dressing changes, wound vacuum devices, etc.

Educate patients and family members on conditions, medications, use of durable medical equipment during inpatient stay and when discharging home, and keep updated on changes to orders by physician such as dietary changes, weight bearing status, etc.

Employed safety measures as ordered by physician and per facility standing orders and monitored throughout shift.

Proficient in Paragon electronic medical record software.

Assist patients with activities of daily living such as bathing, toileting, ambulating, dressing, etc. Transport patients to other departments for procedures or testing as ordered by physician.

Assisted in patient transfers to other floors as ordered by physician. Would physically transfer patient to give warm hand-off as well as over the phone report to nursing staff prior to transfer.

Inventory and store patient's valuables per facility policy upon admission and retrieval of valuables upon discharge.

Ward clerk duties to include answering phones, updating patients' paper charts, assisting charge nurse with duties, assisting other nursing staff with floor duties, and answering call lights.