Authorization Educator - Remote

Come join our team and become part of what the Boston Globe has recognized as one of the Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts 2018 - 2024! 

Saving lives through organ and tissue donation is the mission uniting our employees and drives the work we do. 

New England Donor Services (NEDS) coordinates organ and tissue donation in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, the eastern counties of Vermont and Bermuda. Responsible for one of the largest of the 55 Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) that make up the nation’s donation system, NEDS works with over 200 hospitals and serves nearly 15 million people in our region, screening nearly 55,000 potential donor referrals annually. With approximately $140M in operating revenues, NEDS employs 378 clinical and non-clinical staff members throughout New England and across the country.

Our vision is to be a leader in the development and implementation of strategies to increase the life-saving and life-enhancing gifts of organ and tissue donation through effective relationships with our clinical partners, donor families and the communities we serve.

Candidates with a minimum of five years of experience as a Family Services Coordinator in an Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) are strongly preferred and will be considered first. 

The Authorization Educator (AE) works under the direction of Sr. Director, Education and Development to develop and deliver focused authorization training for new and current staff. The AE uses authorization-related metrics to identify and facilitate training initiatives and individual coaching opportunities. The AE conducts phone donation discussions and assessments to train new Family Services (FS) staff during the orientation period and to provide on-going skill development to newly graduated coordinators. Additionally, the AE participates in authorization-related training for non-FS colleagues.  

Data Analysis:

• Reviews authorization-related data to identify performance gaps, individual opportunities for improvement and donation discussion process and outcome trends.
• Complies data and reports findings to Sr. Director, Education and Development, Sr. Director, Family Services, and Sr, VP Organ Donation Services.

Training:  

• Works in collaboration with Sr. Director, Education and Development to develop individual training plans to improve authorization rates.
• Functions as a real-time coach to further skill development as needed and according to individual training plans.
• Develops and leads Collaborative Donation Process (CDP) and donation discussion scenario simulation training.
• Provides on-going education for Family Services Coordinator (FSC)/Family Resource Coordinator (FRC) though quarterly case debriefing discussions.
• Serves as content expert for new authorization discussion training initiatives.
• Teaches authorization-related classroom sessions to new ODS staff.
• Occasional travel to New England to participate in/facilitate in-person education sessions.

Donation Discussions:

• Assumes 6 on-call shifts a month in the role of FRC and Trainer to facilitate the CDP process, conduct donation discussions and update donor families throughout the donation process.

Leadership:

• Works collaboratively with Sr. Director, Education and Development to develop metrics to assess the effectiveness of training, development programs and competency evaluation.
• Acts as a leader and mentor to clinical staff by communicating effectively and diplomatically, is approachable and open-minded, consistently exhibits positive attitude, demonstrates teamwork, and complies with clinical practice and regulatory standards at all times.
• May serve as a resource to Hospital Donation Strategists and/or participate in After Action Review meetings following complicated cases.
• Co-leads FS Trainer Meetings.
• Works collaboratively with Sr. Director, Education and Development to oversee assigned projects and initiatives.
• Participates in committee as assigned.

Other:

• Participates in all required meetings including, but not limited to, remote conferences, departmental meetings, combined team meetings and staff meetings.
• Performs above duties and other duties assigned by Sr. Director, Education and Development.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Skilled Presenter: Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and large group sessions. Ability to motivate the learner.
• Crisis Intervention: Thorough knowledge and understanding of crisis intervention, CDP best practices, donation discussion language and approach protocols.
• Data Analysis: Ability to evaluate data to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Assessment and Feedback: Ability to conduct objective assessments, identify individual need for skill development and provide constructive feedback and coaching.
• Computer & Application Literacy: Skilled in Word, Excel, Outlook, email and the ability to learn NEDS’ internal systems including, but not limited to, True North and SharePoint.
• Interpersonal and Communication Skills:  Ability to communicate openly and effectively with all members of hospital and NEDS teams, both on cases and during delivery of educational programs.
• Project Management Skills: Demonstrated ability to lead, organize, and manage multiple projects, adapt to changing priorities, and utilize time-management skills to meet deadlines.

What You’ll Be a Part Of:

You will be part of a team that supports the NEDS mission, to Save and Heal Lives, through the gift of Organ and Tissue Donation.  As an NEDS employee, our benefits include:

• Generous paid time-off program
• Health, Dental, Vision, and Mental Health insurance coverage
• 2x Annual Salary Life Insurance
• Fertility Benefits
• Inclusive Healthcare Programs
• Flex Spending Account Options
• 403(b) Retirement Plan with Organizational Contributions
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Pet Insurance
• Working Advantage discounts Program.
• Personal career and skill development opportunities

You can also participate in Corporate sponsored events like the annual Blue & Green Walk, Community Volunteering opportunities, Organization-wide team-building outings, and more!

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of five years of experience as a Family Services Coordinator in an Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) strongly preferred.

HIRING ALERT: NEDS is actively taking precautions to protect our community, staff and partners during this time of medical emergency due to COVID-19. In order to be employed at NEDS, you must be vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19.

When you join New England Donor Services you can expect competitive salaries and a great benefit package. Benefits include a generous paid time off program, BCBS Health and Dental Insurance, Healthcare Reimbursement Account, 2x Annual Salary Life Insurance, Pet Insurance, Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Coverage, 403(b) Retirement Contribution, Tuition Reimbursement, Employee Assistance Program and Discounts through Working Advantage.

New England Donor Services is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes candidates from all backgrounds to apply to meet the needs of the communities we serve.

Hear from some of our employees at www.neds.org/careers