Patient Flow Specialist
Summary
Coordinates overnight patient flow at two hospitals: triages ED calls, assigns patients to teams, updates Cerner, and prepares handoffs for day-shift staff.
Location: IU Health Methodist Hospital
Coverage: IU Health Methodist Hospital and IU Health University Hospital
Schedule
Three 12‑hour shifts: 5:45 pm to 5:45 am including every 3rd weekend.
Top Responsibilities
- The Night Patient Flow Specialist coordinates hospitalist patient flow and provider assignments during overnight operations. Key responsibilities include triaging emergency department calls, consultations, transfers, post-operative patients, transitions of care, and ICU pickups; assigning new patients to the appropriate teams and providers; and maintaining accurate patient lists, logs, service orders, and census totals in Cerner. The specialist balances team workloads according to established grids, identifies cancellations, discharges, and ICU status changes, and prepares next-day reports and handoff materials. This role also communicates overnight admissions, team totals, medical record numbers, patient locations, and outstanding follow-up needs to incoming physicians and day-shift staff to support a safe, accurate, and efficient transition of care.
Key Skills for Success
- Proficiency in Cerner
- Strong Microsoft Teams and Excel skills
- Excellent communication abilities
- Highly collaborative team mindset
- Detail‑oriented and organized
- Ability to prioritize and manage multiple workflows effectively
Role Summary
This position is responsible for coordinating all consult, admission, transfer, and pre‑operative workflows for the acute care provider teams. This individual ensures smooth transitions of care, accurate team assignments, and timely communication across departments. This will become a Hybrid role (2 nights per week remote) upon successful completion of training and must maintain performance standards.
Qualifications
- High school diploma or equivalent required.
- Graduation from an accredited Medical Assistant or LPN program preferred.
- Previous experience in admitting, bed management, patient placement/throughput, or similar hospital operations preferred, including familiarity with demographic and payer‑related financial requirements.
- Ability to work both autonomously and collaboratively with clinical and operational partners.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work professionally with physicians, hospital leadership, patients, and nursing staff at all levels.