Surrounded by the Sierra Nevada Mountains with beautiful lakes and trails for hiking, biking, fishing, and skiing, this facility is thriving and is looking for a highly motivated Speech Therapist to fill a part-time position and provide excellent care to our community. Its an exciting opportunity to be an integral part of the successful growth this rural hospital is experiencing, while maintaining your health through our comprehensive and competitive benefits.

Eastern Plumas Health Care is a small, non-profit, critical access hospital, providing comprehensive medical services to Plumas County since 1971. We operate an acute care hospital at our main Portola campus, which includes a 24-hour, physician staffed, emergency room and ambulance service. In addition, four primary care medical clinics and a dental clinic offer residents a full spectrum of health care services in the Graeagle, Loyalton, and Portola communities. There are also hospital-based Skilled Nursing Facilities in Portola and Loyalton.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS: Speech Therapist will report directly to the Director of Rehab

POSITION SUMMARY:

We are searching for a flexible, resourceful speech therapist to join our team. The speech therapist's responsibilities include performing patient assessments, developing individual treatment plans, liaising with teachers, family members, and other healthcare professionals, administering therapy and monitoring progress, and ensuring patients and their families are informed of new treatments and therapy techniques. This is a multi-setting position that includes treatment of Outpatients, Skilled Nursing, and Inpatient/Sub-acute Rehab patients. Treatment is rendered on the Portola and Loyalton campuses.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Develop and implement individualized therapy programs designed to restore, reinforce, and enhance performance
• Facilitate the learning of those skills and functions essential for communication and swallowing to diminish or remediate disorders of deficits
• Directs activities to promote and maintain health, within the scope of practices and consistent with the Code of Ethics of the profession
• Identify need for and make referral to other disciplines to address the comprehensive needs of the patient
• Assessing, diagnosing, screening, and preventing language, speech, and swallowing disorders.
• Communicating with the patient, and liaising with their family members, physicians, and teachers to design effective treatment plans.
• Using tested therapies in combination with new, innovative techniques to provide the best care.
• Keeping up to date with advancements in the field by attending conferences, conducting research, and expanding professional and academic networks.
• Educating patients and their families on speech disorders and available therapies.
• Taking detailed notes on patient history and progress.

PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR:

• Places the patients safety, comfort, dignity, and convenience before all other considerations
• Behaves with courtesy and respect when speaking to patients, health professionals, and others
• Strives to develop and maintain mutually beneficial long-term relationships with clients, business partners, community leaders and co-workers
• Follows departmental operating procedures (including but not limited to neatness in work area, time off requests, attendance, completing expense accounts, and safety measures in office and field)
• Displays flexibility and adaptability in responding to departmental and professional changes
• Demonstrates interpersonal relations, honesty, and ethical behavior of the highest standards
• Seeks to do the right thing with respect to every decision
• Seeks to understand and faithfully serve the needs of the community
• Strives for both the short- and long-term profitability of EPHC
• Applies recommendations for personal and departmental growth improvement
• Appearance is professional and complies with organizational dress code
• Participates and adheres to department Quality Improvement activities, seeking to provide the best care while looking for ways to further improve?
• Responds to and fully resolves patient concerns
• Delivers care perceived by the patient/family to be personal, respectful, attentive, courteous, tactful, and professional
• Demonstrates support and follows the Mission & Values of EPHC at all times
• Able to express empathy towards patients during demanding patient and organizational needs
• Possesses an ability to prioritize assignments and responsibilities and handle a wide range of duties

POSITION REQUIREMENTS: (Including Education, Certifications, Physical Capacities, Equipment Used, Specific Skills)

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills and abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:

The following education or combination of education and experience are required for the position:

• Previous experience as a speech pathologist is preferred
• Graduation from and accredited school of Speech Pathology
• Current California Speech Pathologist License. We will assist with transferring licensure.
• MA/MS Degree

SKILLS:

• Knowledge of current speech pathology techniques, standards, principles, and procedures
• Specialized assessment for the appraisal of neuropathologies as they relate to communication and swallowing function
• Aphasia
• Cognition
• Dysphagia
• Dysarthria
• Clear Understanding of Medical Terminology
• Proper Body Mechanics
• Infection Control Procedures
• Ability to assess patient condition based upon sound pathophysiological principle
• Develop and implement appropriate treatment plan
• Complete and maintain records of speech pathology, observations, treatments, and actions
• Plan and organize work effectively and efficiently
• Develop and maintain cooperative working relationships with physicians, nursing, and other hospital staff
• Maintain the confidentiality of medical information

Personal Characteristics

• Demonstrates integrity and honesty
• Self-disciplined
• A creative problem solver
• Communicates clearly
• Open to constructive criticism

PHYSICAL CAPACITIES/EQUIPMENT OPERATED:

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those required for any employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Equipment operated and/or maintained:

• Computers and Various Computer Software
• Various equipment for a variety of patients
• Basic office equipment

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:

• Pursues opportunities to assist all co-workers in and outside of regularly assigned duties
• Is team oriented and able to participate as a member of staff with a goal of providing primary health care to the residents of Plumas and Sierra Counties
• Interacts professionally with personnel throughout all EPHC departments

FREEDOM TO ACT/ACCOUNTABILITY:

• Actively contributes in staff meetings
• Identifies problems, and recommends resources and methods for resolution using chain of command
• Cooperates with coworkers and Clinic Front Office Supervisor to develop clinic schedule
• Monitors own performance and reports on program/problem progress

PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY:

As set forth in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), this position must maintain patient confidentiality in accordance with State and Federal regulations.

Protected Health Information is restricted to a need-to-know basis. Any intentional or unintentional breach of confidentiality will be reported to the HIPAA Privacy Officer and is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.