Paralegal – FT – Days – Risk Management

Job Description: DHR Health – US:TX:Edinburg – DaysSummary: FLSA STATUS: ☐ Exempt ☒ Non-ExemptMISSION STATEMENT: Our Mission is to improve the well-being of those we serve with a commitment to excellence: every patient, every encounter, every time.VISION: Our Vision is to create a world-class health system to advance medicine and increase access for the communities we serve by empowering caregivers to heal through compassion, knowledge, innovation, integrated care and excellence.POSITION SUMMARY: The Paralegal supports the hospital’s Risk Management and Legal functions by assisting with claims management, incident investigations, regulatory compliance, litigation support, and document control. This role serves as a liaison between Risk Management, Legal Counsel, clinical leadership, and external parties to help mitigate organizational risk.POSITION EDUCATION/ QUALIFICATIONS:

• Associate’s degree in Paralegal Studies or a paralegal certification required.
• Excellent customer service skills required.
• Computer skills with knowledge of Microsoft Office suite required.
• Good written and verbal communication skills required.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred.

JOB KNOWLEDGE/EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum two (2) years of paralegal or legal support experience required.
• Knowledge of medical malpractice and healthcare law preferred.
• Experience in loss control and claims management preferred.
• Risk management experience in a healthcare setting preferred.
• Experience in working with teams in a complex organization required.

Responsibilities: POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES: · Promotes the facility’s mission, vision and values by effectively communicating them to others. Considers mission, vision and values in developing services, standards and practices.· Assists with the management of professional and general liability claims, including intake, tracking, documentation, and coordination with internal stakeholders and external counsel.· Works with legal counsel to coordinate the investigation, processing, and defense of claims against the facility; records, collects, documents, maintains, and provides to defense attorneys any requested information and documents necessary to prepare testimony in pending litigation.· Maintain and manage confidential risk management files, legal documentation, claims databases, and litigation holds.· Assist with preparation of responses to subpoenas, requests for records, and discovery in collaboration with Risk Management staff and Legal Counsel.· With director of guest relations: reviews patient complaints that may be the source of potential legal action; discusses and offers solutions when possible to resolve with patient and/or family any grievances perceived as potential liability claims.· Track deadlines, court dates, hearings, and required responses to ensure timely follow-up.· Provides assistance to departments in complying with The Joint Commission, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), or other accrediting agencies, regarding risk management related standards.· Develops and maintains positive working relationships with clinicians, management, and staff to promote open communication and accurate flow of information.· Directly refers to administration those incidents with claims potential; reports to higher authority any serious event involving actual or potential injury to patients, visitors or employees.· Reviews national and local claims data; analyzes prior claims, lawsuits, and complaints against the facility.· Notifies the liability insurance carrier of all actual and potential claims, including primary and excess carriers as necessary.· Other duties as assigned. LINES OF REPSONSIBILITIES:(Chain-of-command)1. Director → 2. VP of Quality, Patient Safety, and Accreditation → 3. Chief of QualityOther information: CUSTOMER SERVICE:Provide excellent customer service to all DHR customers. All employees are required to attend the DHR C.A.R.E.S program which outlines the Customer Service Principals including: Commitment, Accountability, Respect, Excellence and Service.AGE SPECIFIC:Employees must be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served in his/her assigned unit. The individual must demonstrate knowledge of principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient’s status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient’s requirement relative to his or her age.AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT: (ADA):A. Essential Duties: Indicated by bold print within performance standards, preceding individual numbered criteria.The following table provides physical requirements that will be associated with, but not limited to, this position:Light/moderate lifting up to 20 lbs, from the floor to shoulder height.YesKneelingYesMust be able to assist other employees with lifting more than 20 lbs.YesWalkingYesLight/moderate carrying up to 20 lbs.YesStanding/SquattingYesStraight pullingYesSittingYesPulling hand over handYesPushingYesRepeated bendingYesStooping/BendingYesReaching above shoulderYesClimbing StairsYesSimple graspingYesClimbing LaddersNoDual simultaneous graspingYesDepth Perceptions neededYesAbility to seeYesIdentify ColorsYesOperating office equipmentYesTwistingYesOperating mechanical equipmentYesCrawlingNoAbility to read and writeYesAbility to CountYesAbility to hear verbal communication without aidYesOperating Personal VehicleYesAbility to comprehend written/verbal communicationYesOther: Ability to deal with stressYesOSHA CategoryIIIB. Working Conditions: The individual spends over 95% of his/her time in an air-conditioned environment with varying exposures to noise. There is protection from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes. The position does have low exposure to malodorous, infectious body fluids from patients and some minimal exposure to noxious smells from cleansing agents.C. Occupational Exposure: This position has minimal to no exposure to blood, body fluids, or tissues and is an OSHA Category III (although situations can be imagined or hypothesized under which anyone, anywhere, might encounter potential exposure to body fluids). Person who performs these duties are not called upon as part of their employment to perform or assist in emergency medical care or first aid or to be potentially exposed in some other way.D. Aptitudes: HIGH 1 2 3 4 5 6 LOWIntelligence: General learning ability: The ability to “catch on” or understand instructions and underlying principles. Ability to reason and make judgments. 3Verbal: Ability to understand meanings of words and ideas associated with them, and to use them effectively. To comprehend language, to understand relationships between words, and to understand meanings of whole sentences and paragraphs. To present information or ideas clearly. 3Numerical: Ability to perform arithmetic operations quickly and accurately. 2Spatial: Ability to comprehend forms in space and understands relationships of plane and solid objects. Frequently described as the ability to “visualize” objects or two or three dimensions, or to think visually of geometric forms. 2Form Perception: Ability to perceive pertinent details and objects or in pictorial or graphic material to make visual comparisons and discriminations and see slight differences in shapes and shadings of figures and widths and lengths of lines. 3Clerical Perception: Ability to receive pertinent details and verbal or tabular material. To observe differences in copy, to proofread words and numbers, and to avoid perceptual errors in arithmetic computation. 2Motor Coordination: Ability to coordinate eyes and hands to fingers rapidly and accurately in making precise movements with speed. Ability to make a movement response accurately and quickly. 3Finger Dexterity: Ability to move hands easily and skillfully. To work with fingers in placing and turning motions. 3Manual Dexterity: Ability to move hands easily and skillfully. To work with hands in placing and turning motions. 3Eye-Hand-Foot Coordination: Ability to move the hand and foot coordinately with each other in accordance with visual stimuli. 3Color Discrimination: Ability to perceive and respond to similarities or differences in colors, shapes, or other values of the same or different color. To identify a particular color, or to recognize harmonious or contrasting color combinations, or to match color adequately. 3I have read and reviewed my job description with my supervisor or designee and I understand the job I am expected to perform.If applicable certification will be completed within time frame of hire/transfer date.Employee Signature: Date: Transfer/Hire Date Effective: .

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