Covenant Health

Health Unit Coordinator, Orthopedic Med Surg

Full Time, 72 Hours Per Pay Period, Night Shift

Fort Sanders Regional Overview:

Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center is an award-winning, certified, and accredited facility with 468 beds. As a Joint Commission Comprehensive Stroke Center, Fort Sanders offers state-of-the art care that maximizes recovery from stroke.  We are also the region’s leader in technology in areas such as bariatric surgery, robotic surgery and minimally invasive spine surgery. Our door-to-balloon times for heart attack patients are below the national average, and our hip fracture center offers advanced diagnosis, surgery and recovery procedures for hip patients.

Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center is a member of Covenant Health, a locally-owned, non-profit health system based in Knoxville, TN, with a “patient-focused” culture. It has been recognized by Forbes Magazine as its 2020 “Best-in-State-Employer” for Tennessee. The CEO of our company, Jim VanderSteeg, attends every new employee orientation and will ask you to sign our pledge of excellence to always put patients first, strive for excellence in everything we do, and make Covenant Health the first and best choice for patients in our region. As you’d expect, we offer our employees a robust benefits package, including: offering unmatched medical insurance, tuition reimbursement; student loan repayment assistance, certification bonuses; leadership and professional development programs; an employer-matched 401(k); and a generous Combined Time Off (CTO) program.

Department Description:

Orthopedic Med Surg (5-West) is a 27-bed unit specializing in Orthopedic Joint/Spine and Bariatrics. The unit’s Joint and Bariatric patient’s average length of stay is 23 hours or less, leading to a fast turnover. The Orthopedic Med Surg team consist of RNs, Nurse Navigator, LPNs, Certified Nurses’ Aides, Patient Care Associates, Student Nurse Associate and Health Unit Coordinator.

Orthopedic Med Surg (5-West) is recognized as the “Joint Center.” Our Orthopedic Surgeons are well known in the East Tennessee region. Patient’s travel from multiple surrounding states for their expertise in total joint surgeries including hips (anterior and posterior), knees and shoulders. The team focus is providing excellent customer service, focused post-operative care, including ambulation, multi-modal pain management and standardized yet individualized patient home care education for our total joint/spine population. Orthopedic Med Surg team members encourage patient and family engagement in care and support of successful Bariatric and Joint/Spine outcomes.

The Fort Sanders Center for Bariatric Surgery is an Accredited Center by MBSAQIP. The bariatric surgeon at Fort Sanders performs a wide variety of procedures such as Gastric bypass, Gastric Sleeves and Duodenal Switch procedures. As a nurse on Orthopedic Med Surg you would be a part of an integral team who participate in the “RENEW” Program,” assisting patients postoperatively with the opportunity to achieve an obesity-free life through applied life-long education, motivation and the highest quality medical care delivered within a compassionate environment.

Joining the Orthpedic Med Surg (5-West) team, you will partner with nurses and other staff with over 20 plus years of Medical/Surgical experience who participate in unit decisions, process improvement and unit celebrations. Orthopedic Med Surg follows a multi-disciplinary approach to providing patient care to include our surgeons, physicians, pharmacy, case management plus physical and occupational therapy which is provided at bedside or in the unit’s gym. We strive to give every patient the highest level of care experience by practicing that the patient comes first, excellence in everything we do and making Fort Sanders Hospital and Orthopedic Med Surg the first and best choice. We are looking for professional individuals who like to work in a positive team environment with others who put their patients first: if that is you, please come join the Orthpedic Med Surg (5-West team).

Position Summary:

Provide clerical and secretarial services to the nursing unit.

Recruiter: Jennifer Gordon || Jgordon2@covhlth.com || 865-374-8107

• Performs clerical duties related to procedures such as admission, discharge, transfer, and death.
• Ensures STAT orders are brought to the attention of licensed nursing personnel.
• Transcribes physician’s orders accurately and in a timely manner and notifies consults as ordered.
• Requisitions supplies and equipment, maintenance and repair services, and prepares related forms. Keeps unit stock and equipment inventories at appropriate levels.
• Answers telephone and intercoms; relays and documents messages. Helps to ensure that follow-up to patients request is timely.
• Assists physicians in obtaining reports from lab, radiology, etc.
• Schedules patient tests, diagnostic procedures, and doctors appointments for patients as requested.
• Organizes patient charts in proper sequence. Labels and replenishes all necessary forms.
• Obtains patient records from other facilities.
• Manages patient flow via flowboard if applicable.
• Assures appropriate discharge disposition in electronic medical records
• Follows policies, procedures, and safety standards. Completes required education assignments annually. Works toward achieving goals and objectives, and participates in quality improvement initiatives as requested.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Education: 

None specified; will accept any combination of formal education and/or prior work experience sufficient to demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skill and ability needed to perform the essential tasks of the job, typically such as would be equivalent to a high school diploma or GED. Preference may be given to individuals possessing a HS diploma or GED.

Minimum Experience: 

None.

Licensure Requirement: 

None.