Job Description

Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health is committed to an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your uniqueness is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt’s mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

Organization:

LifeFlight AirComThe Flight Communication Specialist is responsible for notifying the pilot and flight team when transport has been requested; flight follows with each aircraft and relays information to the flight team during helicopter and/or fixed wing transport; coordinates communications among flight team, hospital, scene and hangar.
The Communication Specialist is able to adapt to a rapidly changing high stress environment while multi-tasking in a timely manner.

Department Summary:

LifeFlight's Communications Center is made up of a team of licensed EMTs and Paramedics that serve as a Regional Medical Communications Center (RMCC) for Middle Tennessee, as well as communications for the Monroe Carrell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt Neonatal and Pediatric ground ambulances, Vanderbilt LifeFlight's ground EMS and Event Medicine ambulances. This team dispatches any stat emergency calls throughout the medical center campus, monitor weather conditions, and track more than 10,000 take off and landings

at the Vanderbilt helipads.

AirCom

All aircraft dispatching for Vanderbilt LifeFlight is done by Air Methods Communications (AirCom), the only center of its size and scope in the nation.

AirCom provides seamless communications between air medical crews, hospitals and emergency personnel. Established in 1996 and based in Omaha, NE., AirCom specialists field calls, provide flight coordination, flight following, and logistical support for more air medical aircraft across the nation. All Communication Specialist receive additional training for all programs within their assigned region so they can provide additional support to the region when necessary.

Shift Details:

The Flight Communications Center is a 24-hour operation. This position works 12-hour shifts (6a-6p or 6p-6a) and may vary based on staffing needs.

Sign-On Bonus:

$5,000

Sign-on Requirements

The sign-on bonus is not applicable to current VUMC staff or former staff who have worked for VUMC in the past twelve months. The sign-on bonus is only available for full-time positions.

Required Qualifications:

• High school diploma or GED equivalency required.
• Current EMT certification is required

Preferred Qualifications:

• Minimum one year of dispatch experience is preferred (preferably Air Medical Flight Dispatching and/or Emergency Medical Dispatch).
• Certified Flight Communicator certification is preferred.
• International Association of Medical Transport Communication Specialists (IAMTCS, formerly known as NAACS) Certified Flight Communicator certification is required within 6 (six) months of hire.
• Ability to successfully function in a fast paced, service-oriented environment with minimal face-to-face interaction.

Communication Center Responsibilities:

• Provides a high level of customer service.
• Demonstrate ability to manage time appropriately when not actively engaged in a mission or task.
• Take and give patient reports with strong understanding of medical terminology.

• Monitors cameras at each air medical base and the VUH and Monroe Carell Jr. helipads.
• Monitors flight route, weather, ETE, maps, scene location by longitude and latitude, etc.
• Prioritize and disseminate accurate and pertinent information such as wind advisories and triaging helipads, to appropriate teams while keeping the safety of the crews and aircraft a top priority.
• Communicates by radio with flight crews to follow flight progress and position of each aircraft.
• Documents flight communications in dispatching software with accurate data entry.
• Notifies all involved agencies to coordinate air transport.
• Answers incoming telephone calls on a multi-line telephone system, radio communications system.
• Contact other flight services if aircraft is unavailable to transport patients.
• Coordinate when other flight services bring patients.
• Must be able to learn several software programs related to mission and flight tracking.
• Must be able to create business correspondence.
• Must possess excellent customer service skills and have the ability to function calmly in a high-pressure situation, think clearly and logically, and make problem-solving decisions based on information given.
• Must be able to handle stressful situations involving multiple, simultaneous critical events in an organized and professional manner. Must be able to read, write and speak English clearly and effectively.
• Attend departmental staff meetings and continuing education meetings.
• Responsible for assimilating various forms of information to make quality decisions while performing a wide range of specialized functions and complex communication services (e.g., requests for transport, assessment and triage of multiple incoming requests for transport, and radio communications with all airborne aircraft) for all transport modalities.
• Maintain effective and comprehensive communication with crew members (medical and aviation) and aircraft utilizing a complex, statewide, multi-channeled radio system. Must also perform constant flight following procedures with all aircraft during missions according to FAA and Vanderbilt LifeFlight policies.
• Accurately documents appropriate and detailed medical information pertaining to patient condition and all aspects of transport activity, which becomes a legal document.
• Coordinates the details of medical transports by working with the aviation, medical and communications departments in conjunction with the requesting agency and other appropriate resources.
• Accurately inputs all flight transport information into the network database with special regard to FAA Part 135 and Vanderbilt LifeFlight policies and procedures.
• Maintains a working knowledge of FAA rules and regulations (pertaining to Part 135) and remains current and complies with all policies and procedures.
• Maintains and facilitates positive relationships with referring and receiving facilities and pre-hospital agencies to ensure a safe, coordinated and expeditious response for emergency assistance and/or transport for all customers internally and external. Utilizes good customer service practices in accomplishing these tasks.
• Implements proper procedures for notification of administration personnel and/or appropriate agencies in the event of incidents, accidents, or emergency situations involving personnel according to established policies and procedures.
• Educate callers as to all aspects of services associated with air medical transport, (i.e., aircraft, medical crew, ground ambulance arrangements, etc.)
• Assist Coding & Billing with follow-up on accounts as needed.
• Receive incoming requests for transfer center support to include identification of receiving hospital, accepting physicians, etc. Coordinate all aspects of transfer center transports.
• Maintain various statistical databases, spreadsheets, etc., for month-end reports, business development review, marketing analysis, etc.
• Other duties may be required.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Performs and documents safe, efficient and accurate flight coordination.
• Understands the operations and applications of all communication equipment.
• Communicates information and emergency notification to customers in an efficient, concise and courteous manner.
• The responsibilities listed are a general overview of the position and additional duties may be assigned.

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES
• Listening (Intermediate): Demonstrates a high level of interest during all forms of communication, including conversations, seminars, and presentations. Regularly follows the proven listening scenario to "hear, understand, interpret, and respond." Is sensitive to the feelings, body language, voice inflection, disposition, and behavior of speakers. Assures that speakers understand that their messages have been received. Excellent at paraphrasing what others have said for purposes of clarification and support. Asks open-ended clarifying questions, avoiding those where answers are yes or no. Does not jump in and out of meetings to attend to other tasks, reschedules meetings and conversations if undivided attention cannot be guaranteed.
• Decision Making (Novice): Demonstrates the ability to make multiple decisions simultaneously which impact areas of direct responsibility. Takes ultimate responsibility for the problem [owns the problem] and the decisions. Able to make decisions effectively and accurately in an environment which may be fast-paced or changing. Considers a wide range of alternatives, including those which may fall outside of the scope of the task at hand, before making a decision.
• Change Management (Novice): Establishes a structured methodology for responding to changes in the environment or establishing coping mechanisms for responding to changes in the workplace. Makes sound recommendations in problem resolutions. Assists in testing and quality assuring solutions.

• Emergency Management (Novice): Possesses sufficient fundamental proficiency to successfully demonstrate emergency management in practical applications of moderate difficulty.

Allied health is among the fastest growing occupations in healthcare today. This area can be defined as credentialed professionals who perform supportive, diagnostic, and therapeutic health care services to promote health and prevent disease in a variety of settings.

These areas are crucial to Vanderbilt Health’s reputation for excellence in these areas that has made us a major center for patient referrals from throughout the Mid-South.

Each year, people throughout Tennessee and the southeast choose Vanderbilt Health for their health care because of our leadership in medical science and our dedication to treating patients with dignity and compassion.

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Core Accountabilities:

* Organizational Impact: Performs tasks that are typically routine that may impact team's performance with occasional guidance. * Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Utilizes some discretion and research to solve routine problems. * Breadth of Knowledge: Applies knowledge of standards, established processes and procedure that apply to your own job. * Team Interaction: Provides guidance to entry level co-workers.

Core Capabilities

Supporting Colleagues : Develops Self and Others: Continuously improves own skills by identifying development opportunities.- Builds and Maintains Relationships: Seeks to understand colleagues' priorities, working styles and develops relationships across areas.- Communicates Effectively: Openly shares information with others and communicates in a clear and courteous manner. Delivering Excellent Services: - Serves Others with Compassion: Invests time to understand the problems, needs of others and how to provide excellent service.- Solves Complex Problems: Seeks to understand issues, solves routine problems, and raises proper concerns in a timely manner. - Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Listens carefully to understand the issues and provides accurate information and support. Ensuring High Quality: - Performs Excellent Work: Checks work quality before delivery and asks relevant questions to meet quality standards. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Demonstrates basic knowledge of conditions that affect safety and reports unsafe conditions to the appropriate person or department. Managing Resources Effectively : - Demonstrates Accountability: Takes responsibility for completing assigned activities and thinks beyond standard approaches to provide high-quality work/service. - Stewards Organizational Resources: Displays understanding of how personal actions will impact departmental resources. - Makes Data Driven Decisions: Uses accurate information and good decision making to consistently achieve results on time and without error. Fostering Innovation : - Generates New Ideas: Willingly proposes/accepts ideas or initiatives that will impact day-to-day operations by offering suggestions to enhance them. - Applies Technology: Absorbs new technology quickly; understands when to utilize the appropriate tools and procedures to ensure proper course of action. - Adapts to Change: Embraces changes by keeping an open mind to changing plans and incorporates change instructions into own area of work.

Position Qualifications:

Responsibilities:

Certifications:

LIC-Emergency Medical Technicians Basic - Licensure-OthersLicensure-Others

Work Experience:

Relevant Work Experience

Experience Level :

Less than 1 year

Education:

High School Diploma or GED

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which may include health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well-being and professional growth.

Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity. EOE/Vets/Disabled.