The Denver Health Emergency Department (ED) Integrated Care Specialist will serve integrated and complementary roles to better meet the needs of our patients, helping to navigate care across medical, behavioral, and social domains. They will engage with patients who frequently visit the ED for non-urgent complaints (multi-visit patients). They will build patient relationships, help implement care plans, and connect patients to resources that address the root causes of repeat non-urgent ED visits. They will provide screening, intervention, and treatment referral for patients with substance abuse, mental health, and infectious diseases (HIV, HCV). Lastly, they will perform social needs assessments and connect patients to resources to better address social determinants of health (food insecurity, housing insecurity, etc.).
The Specialist will have a unique skill set to build rapport with patients and create trust. This will allow them to identify patient needs and barriers to accessing care, implement care plans, and connect to resources. They will not only identify available resources for patients, but they will also help patients navigate resources both within Denver Health and in the broader community.
The Specialist should have a passion for working with patients affected by homelessness, substance use disorders, and mental health disorders. This role requires practicing respectful, non-judgmental, patient-centered, and trauma-informed care with cultural humility to engage an impacted patient population that is often marginalized within the healthcare system.
Clinical work will occur in the ED. While requiring close collaboration with ED clinical staff (i.e. physicians, advanced practice providers, and nurses), this role will also require collaboration with non-ED personnel at Denver Health and the broader healthcare community in Denver.