Amy Latham
Tuscaloosa,AL
Summary
Experienced Social Work leader with a demonstrated history of working in hospital, hospice, and healthcare settings. Skilled in management, care coordination, discharge planning, and community resource alignment. Proven ability to lead teams, improve patient throughput, and reduce length of stay. Strong operations professional with a Master's degree in Clinical/Medical Social Work. Experience with working with diverse populations, including veterans, and ensuring coordination of appropriate services and resources.
Overview
30
30
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Social Work Manager
DCH Regional and Northport Campus
Tuscaloosa
01.2021 - Current
- Manage a team of professionals responsible for care coordination/discharge planning.
- Educate staff on community resources and post-acute care services.
- Assisted in forming and leading pilot program designed to reduce excess days and length of stay.
- Work closely with physicians and ancillary staff to ensure patient safety, satisfaction, and timely throughput.
- Create and update department policies and procedures.
- Track and trend insurance authorization processes to expedite throughput.
- Collect, analyze, and report date to upper management as it relates to reduction in excess days and length of stay initiatives.
- Have served on the Ethics Committee, Readmission Task Force, Healthcare Disparities Committee, and COVID Task Force
- Collaborate with staff and system to set goals for annual performance evaluations.
- Interview, select, hire, and retain employees.
- Ensure orientation of new hires and ongoing training for staff.
- Provide education and monitoring of compliance with regulatory guidelines.
- Engaged in interdisciplinary care meetings to align treatment plans with patient needs and goals.**
- Monitored compliance with state regulations and internal protocols to ensure best practices are maintained.
- Facilitated family meetings to discuss discharge plans, addressing concerns and enhancing patient understanding.
Director of Social Services
Forest Manor Health & Rehab
Northport
10.2020 - 01.2021
- Provided education and supervision to social services staff.
- Assisted with organizational policies regarding participant eligibility, program requirements, and benefits.
- Collaborated with providers for patient referrals and post discharge planning.
- Assisted in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of staff.
- Navigated processes of visitation, testing, and isolation of residents as related to COVID guidelines and restrictions.
- Communicated with local ombudsman and DHR in relation to complaints and concerns.
- Educated staff on mandatory reporting of elder abuse/neglect.
- Updated patient PASRR/OBRA screenings required by the state.
- Conducted patient care plan meetings.
Social Work Supervisor
DCH Regional Medical Center
Tuscaloosa
02.2020 - 10.2020
- Provided leadership and direct oversight to care coordination, discharge planning, and social work services.
- Guided the department in achieving regulatory compliance.
- Functioned as long stay and complex case specialist for acute care hospital patients.
- Provided leadership at MDDR to impact length of stay.
- Worked closely with legal department on complex family/legal issues which were barriers to discharge.
- Responsible for employee recruitment and hiring.
Hospice Care Consultant
Southern Care/New Beacon
Northport
01.2019 - 01.2020
- Established and maintained strong relationships with hospitals, LTACHs, skilled nursing facilities, cancer centers, physicians, and assisted living facilities.
- Educated referral sources on hospice admission criteria/eligibility and provision of service.
- Introduced new service providers to company and increased enrollment.
- Served as liaison with extended care facilities to transition to hospice, when appropriate.
- Conducted health fairs to educate the community about hospice services and eligibility.
Social Services Supervisor
Hospice of West Alabama
05.2007 - 02.2019
- Collaborated with Medical Directors and Executive Director in agency’s development and promotion, which included liaison activities with referring physicians and hospital personnel, public relations activities, and program planning.
- Provided recommendations to the Board of Directors related to the Social Services Department.
- Ensured agency policies/procedures and regulatory requirements were followed.
- Responsible for the selection, hiring, evaluation, and on-going training/competency assessments of staff.
- Coordinated referrals, admissions, transfers, and discharged of patients.
- Served on the Performance Improvement, Management, Fundraising, and Safety Committees.
- Responsible for oversight and review of non admits to ensure all patients eligible were in receipt of services.
- Coordinated face to face attestations with CRNP or MD for re-certifications.
- Managed schedules and payroll for direct reports
- University of Alabama School of Social Work Field Instructor
Adoption Specialist
A Angel Adoptions
Helena
08.2004 - 05.2007
- Adoption counseling
- Conducted birth parent interviews
- Completed Home Studies and narratives for prospective adoptive parents.
Social Worker/Case Manager
DCH Regional Medical Center
Tuscaloosa
08.1998 - 05.2006
- Conducted parental assessments of NICU infants
- Counseled parents of infant death, stillbirth/miscarriage.
- Responded to referrals for maternal/child units.
- Conducted patient care conferences to establish goals of care and monitor progress/outcomes.
- Participated in multidisciplinary team meetings to provide comprehensive plans of care.
- Provided discharge planning services.
Social Worker/Case Manager
Early Intervention/CSP of West Alabama
Tuscaloosa
06.1996 - 05.1998
- Managed a caseload of high risk infants with multiple medical and social issues
- Worked with developmentally delayed infants and toddlers as well as substance exposed families.
- Facilitated individual and group counseling-provided education.
- Documentation and billing of services in accordance with established agency policy.
Education
Master of Science - Social Work
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa05-1996
Bachelor of Science - Social Work
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa08-1994
Skills
- Excellent Communication Skills
- Leaderships Skills
- Multitasking Skills
- Problem Solving Skills
- Diagnosis and Treatment
- Strong Communication Skills
- Highly responsible and reliable
- Family support
- Elderly care
- Crisis management plans
Certification
- State of Alabama
- Liscensed Master Social Worker (LMSW): Liscense #1062G; Eligible to sit for LICSW
Timeline
Social Work Manager
DCH Regional and Northport Campus
01.2021 - Current
Director of Social Services
Forest Manor Health & Rehab
10.2020 - 01.2021
Social Work Supervisor
DCH Regional Medical Center
02.2020 - 10.2020
Hospice Care Consultant
Southern Care/New Beacon
01.2019 - 01.2020
Social Services Supervisor
Hospice of West Alabama
05.2007 - 02.2019
Adoption Specialist
A Angel Adoptions
08.2004 - 05.2007
Social Worker/Case Manager
DCH Regional Medical Center
08.1998 - 05.2006
Social Worker/Case Manager
Early Intervention/CSP of West Alabama
06.1996 - 05.1998
Master of Science - Social Work
The University of Alabama
Bachelor of Science - Social Work
The University of Alabama