Access Center RN (Registry)

La Rabida Children’s Hospital provides specialized, family-centered health care to children with medically complex conditions, disabilities, and chronic illness. Through expertise, compassion, and advocacy we help children and their families reach their fullest potential, regardless of their ability to pay.

Our not-for-profit hospital, licensed for 49 beds, helps transition children from neonatal or pediatric intensive care to home, by providing medical, rehabilitative and developmental care, and by training families to continue treatments and manage the necessary equipment in the home. La Rabida also provides extensive rehabilitation for those recovering from wounds or burns and treatment for exacerbations of chronic conditions.

The hospital’s enhanced pediatric patient-centered medical home provides primary care to children with complex medical conditions and their siblings. Children with medical homes elsewhere come to La Rabida for specialty services. La Rabida offers a wide range of specialty services provided to children with sickle cell disease, diabetes, and many others. Children are supported in their emotional and developmental growth, particularly in cases where such growth has been interrupted by accident or disease.

Finally, La Rabida provides forensic and treatment services for children exposed to abuse and neglect, comprehensive assessments for youth in care, early intervention for children between 0 and 3 years of age. Care coordination services for medically complex children are also provided for those who are covered by a health plan and receive care from providers in Cook County

The Access Center Nurse is a registered nurse who functions to provide convenient and efficient medical education and support to clients outside the hospital setting. This service poses the ability to make an assessment in a knowledgeable and compassionate manner with regard to the health status of the caller through a verbal telephone interview. The Access Center Nurse coordinates the process of documentation, such as plan of care forms, prescription refills, specialty letters, and school physicals. 

• Coordinates clinical intake of new patients to LRCH-outpatient
• Screens new patients completing the Outpatient Clinic New Patient Screening & Intake Request form to ensure all important data is collected. Captures complete demographic data; reason(s) for visit. Completes initial screenings; verifies assessment/changes noted.
• Facilitates insurance verification and authorization to attend La Rabida clinic; selects a provider.
• Facilitates and supports scheduling of new patient appointments.
• Oversee the clinical aspects of the access center
  • Safely & effectively provides a mechanism for timely prescription refills
  • Partners with provider teams & pharmacy to assist with obtaining required orders, renewals, and prior authorizations from payers for treatments, medications, and supplies when requested.
  • Coordination of documentation requests from external agencies (e.g., SSI, schools) for release of records.
  • Facilitates completion of requested forms – school physicals, utility letters, FMLA forms, etc.
• Provides a convenient and efficient process to triage patient care issues over the phone
  • Triages the diagnosis/problem, making specific calls to the appropriate internal department.
  • Triages calls for same-day appointments to determine the level of need and care required (e.g., routine or urgent)
  • Utilizes appropriate resources as needed for triage assessments
• Communication supports excellent service, teamwork, and continuity of care
  • Access center nurse phones are covered from 0800-1700 M-F when the clinic is open; works to optimize responsiveness, ensuring they are logged into the phone system.
• Assists Outpatient Services Teams in providing excellent care & service to the patients and their families
  • Assists providers, APN’s, and NCM’s as needed. e.g. special projects to ensure meeting regulatory payer requirements & patient/family expectations (prior authorizations, referrals, NCQA requirements for medical home.

• Graduate of an accredited school of nursing with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree
• Licensed as a Registered Professional Nurse in the state of Illinois
• Pediatric experience preferred; A Registered Professional Nurse educated on the principles of triage and with several years of experience in Acute and Chronic Disease settings is preferred.
• CPR required. Only certifications issued by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross will be accepted.

La Rabida Children’s Hospital is very proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

La Rabida is a place unlike any other. We understand the needs of families with children dealing with the most serious or complicated of conditions. With teams of the best healthcare providers in Chicago, we give continuous, comprehensive care, education, and support, helping families face their unique obstacles head-on.   

La Rabida Children’s Hospital is very proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.