Medication Management Care Coordinator

The Medication Management Coordinator (MMC) at UPMC Shadyside Family Health Center will work directly with clinical pharmacists, physicians, nurses and social workers in a primary care setting to help patients access and manage their medicines safely. 

Medication management describes the /implementation/ of patient care using medicines, and it affects every disease state that is treated with a medication. We choose medicines aiming for safety, effectiveness, accessibility and simplicity, but many patients and families still encounter personal, systemic and institutional barriers to accessing or appropriately using their medications – especially within our safety net clinic patient population. 

The Medication Management Coordinator will focus on 3 patient care groups: medication systems support (issues with cost or organization of meds), transitions of care (safe medication use after leaving the hospital), and patients living with HIV (an ongoing quality monitoring initiative.)

There will be extensive patient contact, as well as opportunities for increased involvement in project work, depending on Member interest. 

• Providing follow-up and case management to deliver assistance and information
• Educating patients on medical interventions and prevention
• Auditing charts for quality assurance
• Documenting interactions with patients in an electronic health record
• Conducting program quality improvement and data analysis
• Reviewing patient medications for complexity and cost barriers; collecting patient history information regarding medications

• Self-starter
• Able to review and synthesize information

• Experience managing projects or processes

• Able to communicate effectively with individuals or diverse backgrounds and identities

• Curious

• General computer savviness (e.g. where to save and how to share items via cloud vs. Teams vs. email vs. desktop etc.)

• Clear writing skills, including using required note templates

• Any lived experience interacting with the frustratingly complex health care system, especially with regard to medication use systems.

• Politely assertive/persistent/resourceful when advocating for patients both inside the health center and with outside contacts. 

• Nonjudgemental, strong communication skills verbally and in writing, able to operate comfortably with task-based (as opposed to time-based) work, strong problem-solving and follow-through skills, able to independently prioritize activities, comfortable with variety at the cost of repetition.

• Ability to integrate options for problem-solving because each patient has different needs.

• Curiosity and interest regarding medications, clinical pharmacy, primary care, insurance, patient advocacy or population health.

Skill with Microsoft Office or other software for a variety of data processing operations involving a range of problem solving, record keeping, correspondence, and service tracking options

• Member uses initiative in carrying out recurring assignments following set procedures, independently.
• The supervisor assigns service activities, advises on changes in procedures, and is available for assistance when required.
• The supervisor assigns service activities in terms of project objectives and basic priorities and is available for consultation in resolving controversial issues.

• The service activities are reviewed for accuracy through spot checks, through complaints from customers, and through observation of the Member at service.
• Completed projects are reviewed very generally to determine that objectives have been met and are in compliance with policies and regulations.
• The Member will have direct supervision for complex tasks (e.g. verbal presentation of a complex patient that requires additional intervention from pharmacists.) 

• Written and oral guides provide specific instructions for doing service.
• Detailed guidelines exist, including regulations and directives, handbooks, precedents, industry standards and files of previous projects.
• Guidelines are generally applicable, but the Member independently makes adaptations in dealing with problems and unusual situations.
• Member must use considerable judgment in adapting current or developing new guidance.

• There will be extensive training documents and examples, but a major portion of the work is finding solutions to new versions of problems.

• Member has little or no choice about how to perform the service position
• Member has to develop, analyze, or evaluate information before the service position can progress
• The service position assignments vary significantly or often involve unusual circumstances and incomplete or conflicting data
• In making decisions, the member is often required to depart from past approaches and to extend traditional techniques
• Example of a little-to-no-choice service: templates will be provided for completion of notes
  However, the member must be creative and flexible in helping to solve problems for patients not being able to get their hands on medicines. 

• The Member’s service output is necessary in order to facilitate the service of other staff.
• Service position assignments involve a variety of conventional problems, questions, or situations that conform to established criteria
• The service position product or services affect the social, physical, and economic well-being of a substantial number of people on an ongoing basis
• The member is required to investigate or analyze a variety of unusual conditions, problems, or questions
• Members will prioritize patients for additional services from clinical pharmacists and social worker.  Many of the medication problems encountered will fit into established patterns, but it is highly likely that the member will run into completely unique barriers requiring unique solutions on a regular basis. 

• Clients
• Public
• Community Organizations

• To give or exchange information
• To provide customer service
• To interview
• To motivate, influence, or educate people to support behavior change

• Criminal history check requirements beyond those required by National Health Corps
• Position offers flexible hours/service formats for members who may need them due to childcare commitments, probation/parole requirements, or other obligations. If so, please describe the parameters of this flexibility.
• Expect 2/3 of the time on-site, with increased remote time as independence grows.
  Project work that does not require direct supervision or patient outreach may be scheduled at Member's convenience. 
  Will arrange individual adaptions as needed for child care, family obligations, and other reasonable requests, however, a substantial portion of this position requires outreach to patients and pharmacies, or timing with patient presence in the office, and must be completed within health center operating hours (Roughly 8:30AM-7PM). 

In addition to NHC Standard Checks, all NHC Pittsburgh members are required to complete and pass criminal history checks for Great Lakes Behavioral Research Institute/Diversified Care Management (DCM). Great Lakes/DCM is a third party vendor contracted with the Allegheny County Health Department (operating site for NHC Pittsburgh) to distribute NHC Pittsburgh member stipends. NHC Pittsburgh members are onboarded to Great Lakes/DCM system only when the checks have been completed and the member has passed those checks. Along with these checks, ALL NHC Pittsburgh Members Are Required to be Vaccinated against COVID-19. 

The checks that all NHC Pittsburgh members would be required to complete and pass for Great Lakes/DCM are the following: 1) Act 33 (Pennsylvania Child Abuse Clearance), 2) National Sex Offender Registry Clearance,  3) Act 34 (Pennsylvania Criminal History Clearance, and 4) Act 73 (FBI Criminal History Clearance - ONLY completed via Identogo PA).

NHC members do not have to pay for the completion of these checks. Great Lakes/DCM will distribute payment codes for the Act 33 (Pennsylvania Child Abuse Clearance) and Act 73 (FBI Criminal History Clearance which is conducted through Identogo PA ( PA FBI fingerprinting agency). The National Sex Offender Registry Clearance and Act 34 (Pennsylvania Criminal History Clearance) will be completed by Great Lakes/DCM upon receiving requested information that members will be asked to submit.