Karen Fitzpatrick Email and Phone Number

Salmon VNA & Hospice• Led restructuring efforts for VNA's intake department, which included overhauling training manuals and processes, developing performance improvement initiatives for key team personnel, and orchestrating the department's scheduling system.•Conducted weekly department-wide meetings to ensure staff remained informed and updated on the latest changes affecting the agency as well as the intake department personnel.•Utilization Review capacity entailed review of Oasis assessments and initial clinical documentation for accuracy, as well as accurate assignment of primary ICD-10 diagnoses and any coexisting conditions.•Communicates with individual nursing staff to facilitate complete and accurate documentation of the inpatient medical record.

•Performed comprehensive assessments of patient referrals Home Health Care needs.•Responsible for verifying insurance benefits, determining coverage, and obtaining initial authorization for home health care services via direct contact with insurers.•Led planning efforts for multi-disciplinary care of patients at home through direct communication with case managers, doctors, and other referral sources.•Appointed marketing liaison responsible for representing VNA services and building relationships with Boston's largest hospitals and rehabilitation facilities including Brigham & Women's, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and New England Baptist Hospital.

•Provided care for a wide variety of patients including ventilator-dependent patients, joint replacement patients, post-CVA, head injury and spinal cord injury patients.•Participated in case management meetings to plan for safe discharge.

•Instructed the hospital-based CNA program.•Coordinated ongoing evaluations of individual students' performances.•Revised the written CNA final exam.

•Assessed and evaluated the health needs of the students and school personnel.•Provided emergency care in cases of injury or sudden illness.•Assumed leadership in the identification of those students with health needs that interfered with effective learning.•Counseled students, parents, and school personnel regarding action plans for eliminating, minimizing and/or accepting health problems.

•Provided comprehensive, compassionate care to oncology patients and their families.•Instrumental in the opening of a new Gero-psychiatric unit.•Led new unit's team in the role of Charge Nurse.