Family Support Supervisor - Organ Donation

Overview

Versiti is a fusion of donors, scientific curiosity, and precision medicine that recognize the gifts of blood and life are precious. We are home to the world-renowned Blood Research Institute, we enable life saving gifts from our donors, and provide the science behind the medicine through our diagnostic laboratories. Versiti brings together outstanding minds with unparalleled experience in transfusion medicine, transplantation, stem cells and cellular therapies, oncology and genomics, diagnostic lab services, and medical and scientific expertise. This combination of skill and knowledge results in improved patient outcomes, higher quality services and reduced cost of care for hospitals, blood centers, hospital systems, research and educational institutions, and other health care providers. At Versiti, we are passionate about improving the lives of patients and helping our healthcare partners thrive.

Position Summary

 

 

Family Support Specialist Supervisor

 

Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Versiti Organ and Tissue is a federally designated Organ Procurement Organization, (OPO) supporting the transplant community in southeastern Wisconsin. While we recover organs for life-saving transplant, we prioritize a family-centered process, supporting both our donors and their families throughout the end-of-life, donation, and bereavement processes. We educate both the public and medical professionals about the tremendous need for organ and tissue donors. We are guided by an advisory board that includes members from the community and affiliated transplant centers. Our service area includes 50 critical care hospitals and 3 transplant centers for a population of 2.3 million people in a 12-county region. We are the region’s primary, most current source of information about organ and tissue donation in collaboration with our state team, Donate Life Wisconsin. More than 100,000 Americans are waiting for the organ they need to survive. 2,000+ of those individuals reside in Wisconsin. The need is great, and Versiti is committed to increasing the number of donated organs, eyes and tissue available for transplant to save and enhance lives.

 

The Family Support Supervisor is a true donation advocate.  They are responsible for organ donation authorization rates by overseeing the day-to-day operations and strategic initiatives of the Family Support Specialist team.  They are responsible for training and competency of the Family Support Specialist team as well as obtaining authorization from potential donor families to choose the legacy of donation for their loved one.  At Versiti, this is achieved through high- caliber, compassionate, and collaborative family support, working closely and effectively alongside other Versiti OPO staff as well as hospital care teams to develop effective care plans to achieve goals. The Family Support Specialist Supervisor is committed to outcome- oriented care, ensuring the donation process remains family-centered while optimizing the OPO’s opportunity to save lives.

Essential Responsibilities

• Responsible for organ donation authorization rate that exceeds national average
• Oversees the operations of the family support team including the following: o Ensures appropriate schedule coverage and makes changes as necessary o Determines annual authorization goals and metrics, collaborates with Manager to monitor rates and adjust increase rates as needed
• Ensuring FSS, and any other staff that may have donation conversations, are appropriately trained
• Ensuring FSS team is effective and proficient in the following areas: o Managing family conversations o Gathering social dynamic information of potential patients o Navigating conflict o Collaboration with medical personnel o Cultural humility
• Works in collaboration with FSS educator to identify education opportunities, develops and executes internal and external trainings
• Collaborates with clinical team to ensure team has appropriate clinical education and awareness and hospital development team to ensure team has appropriate hospital and community education and awareness
• Leads continuous improvement activities that lead to increased authorization rates
• Provides on-site support for staff and families as appropriate
• Serves as Administrator on call

 

Required Qualifications:

• 1+ years’ experience working with family dynamics within a medical or health care setting, hospice, bereavement or grief counseling
• 1+ years’ experience in a training or leadership role

 

Preferred Qualifications:

• 1+ years OPO experience

 

Educational Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, Sociology, Public Health, Chaplaincy, or related field
• Associate’s degree in social work, Sociology, Public Health, Chaplaincy, or related field plus an additional 2 years related experience (minimum of 3 years overall) in lieu of required degree

Total Rewards Package

CompensationThe target salary is based on internal averages. Versiti sets salary ranges aligned to local markets in which the job is performed. Compensation decisions take into account internal salary averages and differentiation based on education, experience, skills, and performance. Specific salary and benefits information is shared at the time of the phone screening based on your location and qualifications.BenefitsVersiti provides a comprehensive benefits package based on your job classification. Full-time regular employes are eligible for Medical, Dental, and Vision Plans, Paid Time Off (PTO) and Holidays, Short- and Long-term disability, life insurance, 7% match dollar for dollar 401(k), voluntary programs, discount programs, others.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for organ donation authorization rate that exceeds national average
• Oversees the operations of the family support team including the following: o Ensures appropriate schedule coverage and makes changes as necessary o Determines annual authorization goals and metrics, collaborates with Manager to monitor rates and make adjustments to increase rates as needed
• Ensuring FSS, and any other staff that may have donation conversations, are appropriately trained
• Ensuring FSS team is effective and proficient in the following areas: o Managing family conversations o Gathering social dynamic information of potential patients o Navigating conflict o Collaboration with medical personnel o Cultural humility
• Works in collaboration with FSS educator to identify education opportunities, develops and executes internal and external trainings
• Collaborates with clinical team to ensure team has appropriate clinical education and awareness and hospital development team to ensure team has appropriate hospital and community education and awareness
• Leads continuous improvement activities that lead to increased authorization rates
• Provides on-site support for staff and families as appropriate
• Serves as Administrator on call
• Participates in national committees
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties in this job classification
• Understands and performs in accordance with all applicable regulatory and compliance requirements
• Complies with all standard operating policies and procedures

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, Sociology, Public Health, Chaplaincy, or related field required
• Associate's Degree in Social Work, Sociology, Public Health, Chaplaincy, or related field plus an additional 2 years related experience (minimum of 3 years overall) in lieu of required degree

Experience

• 1-3 years Previous experience working with family dynamics within a medical or health care setting, hospice, bereavement or grief counseling required
• 1-3 years experience in a training or leadership role required
• 1-3 years OPO experience preferred

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated expertise and working knowledge of organ procurement preferred
• Demonstrated leadership skills to include effective verbal and written communication, decision making, conflict resolution, and organizational abilities required
• Demonstrated ability to manage diverse teams, to influence cross-functional teams and to lead change required
• Ability to exercise initiative and independent judgment in addressing procedural, technical, equipment, customer, and staff problems required
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills with a professional, courteous demeanor required
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills with a professional, courteous demeanor, creative, with “can do” attitude; Effective problem solving and decision making skills which demonstrate good judgment required
• Flexibility and dedication for handling a demanding, irregular schedule and stressful situations required
• Good organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and handle multiple tasks at one time while maintaining attention to detail required

Licenses and Certifications

• Valid Wisconsin Driver's license required

Tools and Technology

• Personal Computer required
• Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) required
• General office equipment (computer, printer, fax, copy machine, scanner) required