Medical Communications Spec

J  o  b    D  e  s  c  r  i  p  t  i  o  n

JOB INFORMATION

Effective Date:

4/1/2024

Entity:

Wisconsin

Job Code:

300089

Job Title:

Medical Communications Spec

FLSA Exemption Status:

Non-Exempt

Management Level:

Individual Contributor

JOB SUMMARY

The Medical Communications Specialist (MCS) coordinates transport-based communications between external and internal parties. The MCS is the first line of communication with outside referring physicians, rural hospital staff, 911 center staff, emergency medical technicians, police officers, fire department staff, air traffic controllers, fixed base operators (FBOs), fuel handlers at regional airports, and other flight programs. The MCS serves as the communication liaison between UW Health physicians, staff, the UW Health Access Center, and referring agencies.

The MCS is responsible for tracking Med Flight helicopters and ambulances and other aircraft flying within UW Health's regional service areas. The MCS triages and dispatches appropriate Med Flight vehicles and organizes a coordinated response of personnel receiving patients from Med Flight and other flight programs.

The MCS takes detailed patient reports from the requesting agency and relays the pertinent information to the Med Flight crews as well as the receiving location staff. For Scenes, this information includes the nature of the injury and/or illness, location of accident, landing zone information, ground contact information, and radio frequencies. During interfacility flights, the MCS communicates with medical staff at the requesting and receiving hospitals regarding patient status and medical history and ensures that the receiving hospital is ready to accommodate the patient.

The MCS performs the same functions for helicopters from other flight programs that fly into UW Health's service areas and use UW Health helipads.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

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Triage incoming calls for urgent and emergent patient transfers from the Access Center for interfacility flights. Log time and nature of each call.

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Triage incoming calls for Scene flights from Regional 911 Centers, County Sheriff Departments, or emergency responding agencies including police departments, fire departments, and EMS units.

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Triage calls coming into the UW Health Physician Consultation and Referral Service.

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Collect available patient medical information from referring facilities for all patients being transported to UW Hospital and American Family Children’s Hospital (AFCH). Relay this information to the receiving unit.

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Answer digital communications responding to customer requests for patient acceptance and transfer.

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Follow procedures to coordinate and dispatch the appropriate rotor or ground transport.

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Establish appropriate radio and land line communications with requesting agencies to secure landing zone instructions (location, nearest cross-roads, and hazards such as power lines, trees, wind speed, and direction).

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Discuss local weather conditions at the scene with referring agencies to the degree possible and obtain an initial patient medical report to relay to the flight crew.

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Communicate current local and regional weather patterns and conditions to crew members that may impact air and ground operations. Coordinate requests as appropriate for weather conditions and aircraft capabilities.

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Direct appropriate helicopter or ground ambulance crews to respond to requests.

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Notify security for ground traffic control assistance when necessary.

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Initiate Computer Aided Dispatcher (CAD) software data input and continually record and update information as it becomes available through the duration of the transport in real time.

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Initiate internal and external notification systems and paging to appropriate medical services of Med Flight request and response, including but not limited to the Access Center, Trauma Teams, Neurosurgical, Cardiac, Critical Care intensive staff, Vascular, Pediatric teams, ER, and Operating Room.

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Facilitate and maintain radio-to-radio and radio-to-phone communication between Med Flight helicopters and other aircraft as well as between other aircraft and UW Health when transporting patients to UW Health facilities.

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Flight follow with all helicopters flying into and out of UW Hospital helipads. Perform flight following for visiting aircraft within the regional service area as requested.

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Facilitate and maintain radio contact with Med Flight assets every ten minutes in accordance with FCC rules using satellite aircraft tracking and/or ground to air radio systems.

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Notify receiving hospitals and affected personnel and departments of helicopter or ambulance estimated time of arrival (ETA) as soon as information becomes available.

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Aid in facilitation of patient report between the helicopter and the receiving hospital, trauma teams, and other aircraft that are transporting to University Hospital and AFCH.

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Support other helicopter programs flying through UW Health regional airspace/radio service areas upon request and be in phone communication with their dispatch centers upon arrival and departure of their aircraft.

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Coordinate fueling requests state-wide for Med Flight assets and assist other flight programs with contacting of FBOs (fixed base operators) locally.

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Work with local police departments to obtain positive patient identification and relay such information to all the appropriate hospital departments.

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Maintain an active computer database of referring and receiving hospitals, physicians, EMS, fire and police units, and 911 communication centers through the use of CAD software to support Med Flight operations.

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Serve as a backup to UW Health Access Center staff.

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Maintain detailed record of missed/cancelled transports, aborted transports, and other helicopter agency transports within UW Heath regional service areas.

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Demonstrate an understanding of Metro Aviation Operational Control Center and comply with FAA regulations and procedures.

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Demonstrate and maintain a thorough working knowledge of all Med Flight Communications Center equipment: aircraft radios, handheld radios, satellite tracking of aircraft, and operational control system. Notify the appropriate personnel in the event of malfunction of any equipment in the Communications Center.

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Initiate overdue/missing transport asset procedures when necessary.

As needed, additional responsibilities reasonably within the scope of duties and physical requirements may be assigned.  ALL DUTIES AND REQUIREMENTS MUST BE PERFORMED CONSISTENT WITH THE UW HEALTH PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND RESPECT FOR PEOPLE COMMITTMENTS.

X

Non-Clinical

JOB REQUIREMENTS

High School Diploma

or GED

Required

Associate's Degree

or higher

Preferred

2 years

of experience in an emergency services role such as an Emergency Medical Dispatcher, Emergency Medical Technician, or comparable role

Required

3 years

of professional work experience in customer service, physician referral, or emergency medical dispatch

Preferred

Certified Flight Communicator

within 1-1/2 Yrs

Required

EMT - Paramedic

Preferred

LICENSE, CERTIFICATIONS, AND REGISTRATIONS MUST BE MAINTAINED PER UW HEALTH POLICY. 

•

Advanced phone skills including conferencing, call parking, and transferring

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Must demonstrate knowledge of aviation terminology and FAA and FCC regulations.

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Must have the ability to prioritize and perform multiple duties, sometimes independently, in a high stress environment.

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Must have excellent verbal and written communication, telephone, customer service, and prioritization skills.

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Previous computer experience (in a networked environment), data entry, clerical skills, and work with attending level physicians in an academic medical center environment is preferred.

•

Demonstrate an understanding of navigation techniques/terminology and basic weather interpretation.

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Maintains excellent interpersonal and customer relations at all levels and follow through to completion of request for assistance.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORKING CONDITIONS

☒

Sedentary: Ability to lift up to 10 pounds maximum and occasionally lifting and/or carrying such articles as dockets, ledgers and small tools. Although a sedentary job is defined as one, which involves sitting, a certain amount of walking and standing is often necessary in carrying out job duties. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and other sedentary criteria are met.

Up to 10#

Negligible

Negligible

☐

Light: Ability to lift up to 20 pounds maximum with frequent lifting and/or carrying of objects weighing up to 10 pounds. Even though the weight lifted may only be negligible amount, a job is in this category when it requires walking or standing to a significant degree.

up to 20#

Up to 10# or requires significant walking or standing or requires pushing/pulling of arm/leg controls.

Negligible or constant push/pull of items of negligible weight

☐

Medium: Ability to lift up to 50 pounds maximum with frequent lifting and/or carrying objects weighing up to 25 pounds.

20-50#

10-25#

Negligible-10#

☐

Heavy: Ability to lift up to 100 pounds maximum with frequent lifting and/or carrying objects weighing up to 50 pounds.

50-100#

25-50#

10-20#

☐

Very Heavy: Ability to lift over 100 pounds with frequent lifting and/or carrying objects weighing over 50 pounds.

Over 100#

Over 50#

Over 20#

Other - list any other physical requirements or bona fide occupational qualifications not indicated above:

Over 50 lbs.

UW Health does not require, nor does it expect that its employees lift more than 50 lbs unassisted. Objects in excess of 50 lbs should be lifted or moved with mechanical means or through a team lift. Employees in patient care areas are expected to utilize mechanical lifts and adhere to the "Use of Mechanical Lifts (Liko)" policy in the Patient Services Policy and Procedure Manual.

Note: The purpose of this document is to describe the general nature and level of work performed by personnel so classified; it is not intended to serve as an inclusive list of all responsibilities associated with this position.

THE EMPLOYEE MUST BE ABLE TO COMPLETE ALL PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE JOB WITH OR WITHOUT AN APPROVED ACCOMODATION. Note: The purpose of this document is to describe the general nature and level of work performed by personnel so classified; it is not intended to serve as an inclusive list of all responsibilities associated with this position.