Amy Sparago

Primary Departments: Trauma, general surgery, and surgical intensive care unit.

• Completed comprehensive assessments of patient and family/caregivers psychosocial functioning and needs as they related to acute and chronic illness.
• Participated in the development of a plan of care with a multi disciplinary healthcare team, patient and family/caregiver.
• Developed discharge plans for patients and collaboration with the patient, family/caregiver and healthcare team.
• Monitored patient, family/caregivers ongoing functional/psychosocial status and appropriateness of care.
• Provided education to patients/families/caregivers regarding resource options and coping with diagnosis, treatment options, and prognosis.
• Coordinated and participated in multidisciplinary patient/family meetings.
• Referred to home healthcare services, community resources, and arranged equipment needs at discharge.
• Facilitated arrangements for placement in appropriate facility (i.e. rehab).
• Worked with medical team and court system and obtaining guardianship of patients in need.
• Initiated the utilization management process, using the approved screening guidelines (interqual) To evaluate the appropriateness of Admissions/Care.
• Communicated with third-party payers to obtain necessary authorization for reimbursement of services.
• Identified, reported and resolved actual and potential delays in service and inappropriate use of resources.
• Utilized Maxsys computer system, and Interqual screening criteria for each new admission and continued stay reviews.
• Maintained a daily caseload of 16 to 25 patients.

Primary Departments: Oncology, Orthopedics, Obstetrics.

Covered additional units including: Telemetry, Skilled Nursing, Intensive Care and Emergency Room.

• Provided supportive services to hospital patients and their families.
• Reviewed patients medical charts and documented assessments, consultations, and recommendations.
• Collaborated with doctors, nurses and therapist to determine patient status and needs.
• Responded to outside calls, connecting individuals and their families to community resources.
• Maintained daily contact with home health, hospice, nursing home, caregiver and adult daycare agencies as well as durable medical equipment companies.
• Coordinated, discharge plans, providing resources and making referrals to patients and their families.
• Worked closely with nurse case manager and insurance and discharge requirements.

Oncology and Orthopedic Unit

• Evaluated patient’s medical conditions and histories, primarily 60 years and older.
• Consulted with patients and their families to ensure safe discharge.
• Served as oncology, social worker representative and cancer committee.

Obstetrics Unit

• Facilitated private and agency adoptions.
• Completed assessments of drug addicted, mothers and newborns born positive for drug exposure.
• Assessed at risk mothers, providing them with community resources.

Emergency Room

• Provided services for short term cases, including domestic violence, gerontology, and substance abuse.

• Completed inpatient evaluations of children (newborn to 17) experiencing sexual abuse, physical abuse, child, neglect, behavioral problems, and developmental delays.
• Provided inpatient and outpatient services to children with a focus and all aspects of the child’s environment: Medical, psychosocial, educational and living conditions.
• Collaborated on a multidisciplinary team to discuss patient progress and discharge plans.
• Lead daily staffing meetings.
• Completed psychosocial assessments for each family.
• Provided outpatient therapy to children and families with the focus and child male treatment issues.

• Provided outpatient evaluations of children families.
• Developed and implemented effective treatment recommendations based on experience with a variety of treatment, modalities, including family systems, cognitive, behavioral, and psychodynamic therapy.
• Coordinated discharge plans by assessing patient’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Collaborated on a multidisciplinary team to discuss patient care and treatment issues, including medication, school consultation, and psychological testing.
• Performed intake and appointment services.
• Completed an additional project, focusing on the cognitive behavioral treatment modality.

Treated children diagnosed with the following:

*Adjustment Disorder

*Dysthymic Disorder

*Encopresis

*Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

*Oppositional Defiant Disorder

*Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

*Separation Anxiety

*Trichotillomania

*School Phobias.

CHAMPS (Children Having And Maintaining Positive Self-Esteem)

• Worked with children ages, 6 to 14 in families with substance abuse.
• Assessed at-risk children linking them to appropriate community services.
• Co-facilitated skill building, tutoring, and therapy groups of children.
• Co-facilitated a parent group for family members of children.
• Conducted home visits to discuss clients progress and status of potential clients.
• Lead group therapy sessions in elementary school for the outreach program.
• Council children and families adjusting to change, loss, illness, and drug use.