Job Description

Health Unit Coordinator

North Star Behavioral Health is one of Alaska’s premier mental health facilities offering hope and healing for children, teens and adults who struggle with psychiatric or substance abuse issues. We also offer military-specific care to first responders, service members, veterans and dependents at the Chris Kyle Patriots Hospital. We provide an environment that puts patient care first through excellent care, comfort, and security to the patients and families we treat, at their most vulnerable times. When you work at North Star Behavioral Health, you are never alone, as you are part of a large network of peers and leaders that routinely exchange ideas and review current topics within the industry. With us, you have the opportunity to grow, learn, and advance in your career through robust continuing education opportunities and career advancement with UHS.

The Health Unit Coordinator works in tandem with the nursing team to coordinate patient care and the day-to-day operations of the hospital units. Health Unit Coordinators have the unique opportunity to help keep the unit moving through scheduled programing and working closely to support the nursing staff. This opportunity is great for nursing students as North Star will schedule one day (paid) for the student to shadow a nurse for the full shift.

RESPONSIBLITIES:            

1. Supports safe patient medication administration prescribed by physician (ie. decreasing overall distractions for nursing while medications are being administered. If an LPN, he/she will need to pass medications per policy).
2. Assists the dietary staff in identifying patients on special diets and assuring patients’ compliance with dietary orders.
3. Carries out general MHS duties and assists nursing with admissions, escorts, transfers, and discharges.
4. Is responsible for patient observation per policy.
5. Facilitates and Co-facilitates therapeutic group activities and ensures that patients regularly attend and participate in program activities.
6. Ensures documentation is detailed, concise, clear, and completed in a timely manner.
7. Obtains vital signs and reports finding to registered nurse.
8. Performs chart audits and chart reviews.
9. Assures unit communication processes are accurate and support patient safety.
10. Communicate changes in patient’s condition to Nursing staff.
11. Manages consults: scheduling appointments in a timely manner, assuring packets are made and personal belongings ready to go for each consult well before the consult time, and that the steps to assure follow up appointments are made, if any, upon the return of each patient from a consult.
12. Performs tasks related to the organization of the nurse’s station:
• Welcoming and screening visitors and belongings
• Ensures safety and confidentiality by monitoring movement of patients
• Answering the phone and responding to caller requests
• Responding to patient requests
• Discernment of phone calls (ie notify RN within 5 minutes regarding critical lab value call from lab)
13. Preparation for and support of admissions and discharges (managing patient belongings, vital signs, patient searches, putting charts together/ breaking charts down, stickering admission paperwork. (If an LPN: processing and noting orders, completing MARS)  

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF THE POSITON:

• High school diploma or equivalent; or combination of education and experience.
• Must be willing and able to execute the patient de-escalation methods, both verbal and physical.
• Must be able to complete new hire requirements such as State of Alaska Background Check and Drug Testing.
• Must be able to demonstrate special training, knowledge and skills specific to age groups, as well as job and/or program specific competency within the first three (3) months of training.
• Must be certified in CPR and Handle with Care Training within the first month of employment and annually thereafter.
• Must complete all required mandatory in-services annually.
• Must be tested for Tuberculosis with a PPD skin test or chest x-ray upon hire; PPD skin test required annually or chest x-ray tri-annually thereafter.
• Must complete nurse competencies during orientation and yearly thereafter.

One of the nation’s largest and most respected providers of hospital and healthcare services, Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) has built an impressive record of achievement and performance. Growing steadily since its inception into an esteemed Fortune 500 corporation, annual revenues were $12.6 billion in 2021. During the year, UHS was again recognized as one of the World’s Most Admired Companies by Fortune; and listed in Forbes ranking of America’s Largest Public Companies. Headquartered in King of Prussia, PA, UHS has approximately 89,000 employees and continues to grow through its subsidiaries. Operating acute care hospitals, behavioral health facilities, outpatient facilities and ambulatory care access points, an insurance offering, a physician network and various related services located all over the U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom.

EEO Statement

All UHS subsidiaries are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates. UHS subsidiaries are equal opportunity employers and as such, openly support and fully commit to recruitment, selection, placement, promotion and compensation of individuals without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), genetic information, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

We believe that diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical to our success.

Notice

At UHS and all our subsidiaries, our Human Resources departments and recruiters are here to help prospective candidates by matching skillset and experience with the best possible career path at UHS and our subsidiaries. We take pride in creating a highly efficient and best in class candidate experience. During the recruitment process, no recruiter or employee will request financial or personal information (Social Security Number, credit card or bank information, etc.) from you via email. The recruiters will not email you from a public webmail client like Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, etc. If you are suspicious of a job posting or job-related email mentioning UHS or its subsidiaries, let us know by contacting us at: or 1-800-852-3449.

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