Melissa Gearing

• Supervise on average 65 Hospice Aides and 5 Hospice Aide Schedulers.
• Supervise the planning, coordination, and delivery of hospice aide services.
• Implement and monitor policies and procedures in compliance with agency and accreditation standards.
• In conjunction with transdisciplinary management team, appropriately addresses concerns associated with the delivery of clinical services.
• Review timeliness and completeness of clinical documentation, including periodically performing documentation audits.
• Identify need for staff education and establish training and development in-services as needed.
• Assess daily staffing needs and implement re-distribution of resources to maximize patient care.
• Recruit, manage, coach and develop staff to achieve organizational goals in accordance with agency policy, accreditation, and regulatory standards.

• Responsible for the oversight and management of medical supplies for both staff and patients, including durable medical equipment (DME), pharmacy services, and personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Act as liaison between organization and contracted vendors.
• Ensure vendors and supplies adhere to standards set forth by accreditation agencies.
• Perform regular formulary and budgetary reviews, ensuring appropriate allocations and price per patient day costs.
• Reviews all unusual occurrences in relation to medical supplies and services, establishing corrective action plans as necessary.
• Manages organizational PPE distribution, including PPE Assistant direct reports.
• Responsible for organizing and hosting regular N95 fit testing for staff, ensuring both mask and staff compliance per Joint Commission standards.
• Creates organizational training materials for newly established processes and procedures.

Achievements

• Implemented and sustained organizational PPE distribution process, N95 fit-testing program, donning and doffing coach program, in addition to taking on all clinical supply oversight in the new Materials Manager role.
• Maintained a consistent six month internal supply of PPE during Covid-19 Pandemic.
• Performed multiple medical supply formulary and process reviews, reducing cost per patient day rates and overall organizational costs.

• Supervises on average 30 volunteers throughout Sonoma County, Napa, and Vallejo.
• Coordinates recruiting, interviewing, and training of new volunteers.
• Responsible for volunteer placement based off of appropriate requests from Social Workers. This includes maintaining contact with patient and/or primary caregiver to ensure assignments are good fits for both parties.
• Educate agency staff on updated Volunteer Services policies and procedures.
• Prepare monthly statistical reports to Finance to ensure maintenance of the 5% volunteer to staff hour ratio, per Medicare guidelines.
• Attend semiweekly clinical transdisciplinary team meetings to provide progress notes on volunteer assignments to clinical personnel.
• Ensure accurate medical record charting for each patient, including maintaining goals and interventions within current hospice benefit period and visit set.

Achievements

• Maintained average of 5% volunteer/staff hour goal since acquiring Sonoma Volunteer teams, up until Covid-19 pandemic.
• Successfully recruited and trained seven volunteers in areas of need.
• Created guidelines for training new Volunteer Coordinators with Volunteer Services Manager.
• Recognized by CEO and CMO for assistance in outside departments during times of need.

• Supervised on average 500 volunteers over University of Utah Health's hospitals and clinics within community.
• Responsible for orienting, interviewing, and placement of volunteers, in addition to supporting finalization and training of every volunteer.
• Reviews variance and budget reports to assure work flow efficiency. This includes working with both staff and volunteers to maintain attendance and reduce inappropriate use of leave by staff.
• Organize scheduling of space within hospital for department use.
  Planned events for both volunteers and staff. This includes the yearly momentous Volunteer Services luncheon.
• Implementing volunteer program growth, alongside coordinating and sustaining current programs with staff and program champions.

Achievements

• Developed and finalized five new programs within three-month period.
• Received "Great Work" award from an outside department for assistance with their event.
• Recognized by CEO and additional senior executive medical staff members for the production of the VS luncheon.

• Supervised Patient Relations Coordinators in evaluating patient relation concerns.
• Investigated complaints, reviews circumstances with involved parties and makes recommendations for resolution. Often participated in negotiation of resolution.
• Partnered with Risk Management Department in the management of non-litigation, high level complaints and grievances.
• Completed notifications for DNV compliance with tracking and reporting. Maintained all files and/or other documents associated with patient relations investigations.
• Assisted Manager, Director, and executive staff in the preparation of special reports or in response to requests for information.
• Leader in the development of educational programs and provides in-service training on customer service topics.
• Continual auditing and evaluating team to ensure compliance with regulations between both hospital and NIAHO.

Achievements

• Received “Great Work” Award for being Hazard Communications Coordinator and completing MSDS sheets.
• Received “Great Work” Award for creating visual aids for Customer Service workflows.
• Received ATFP “Up with Excellence” Certificate of Achievement in recognition of excellence.

• Executed fluid shifts through role assignment and team management.
• Interviewed, trained, and supervised staff, creating a welcome environment for both partners and customers.
• Solved problems as they arose, while preserving customer experience.
• Consult with outside stores and districts for continual improvement and beverage quality.

Achievements

• Managed weekly food pars to motivate food growth while maintaining 6-8% waste.
• Drastically reduced drive thru wait times from 70 seconds average per week to 50 seconds through team motivation.
• District level Barista Champion for two years running. Partner of the Quarter on two occasions.