What is Case Management?
At Alaska Regional Hospital, Case Management is a collaborative process that involves you and your family in your care while you are hospitalized. An experienced case manager and a social worker will work closely with a team of medical specialists to assess your unique healthcare needs and develop a plan of care specifically for you. They will help you to evaluate your options and determine which of our services or community resources will help you and your family the most.
Think of your case manager as your personal advocate. He or she will facilitate communication between the specialists caring for you and enable easy access to the resources available at Alaska Regional Hospital. Our streamlined case management team is here to make sure that you are given high-quality, cost-effective care during your stay with us.
Working with your case manager and social worker
At Alaska Regional Hospital, we aim to provide you the best care possible. Your case manager or social worker will help you with the following services:
- Coordinate ongoing care with your clinical team during your hospital stay.
- Refer you to resources within Alaska Regional Hospital such as spiritual services, education and customer services.
- Provide you and your family with lists of community resources available to you.
- Connect you with resources that will meet your cultural and age-specific needs.
- Work with your insurance company while you are in the hospital to use your benefits correctly.
- Assist you and your family with discharge planning.
- Assess for Medicare/Medicaid.
Important terms you should know
Durable Medical Equipment (DME): Items such as walkers, wheelchairs, canes and hospital beds.
Insurance Authorizations: Approval for payment by the insurance company for services provided. Interdisciplinary Team: The team of medical professionals who will work with you and a family member to coordinate your care.
This may include physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologist, the dietician,respiratory therapy and the chaplain.
The right level of care
Your case manager will ensure that you receive the right level of care. This could include inpatient, outpatient, skilled care or inpatient rehabilitation.
- Rehabilitation: Daily physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. You must be able to participate in three hours of rehabilitation therapy to qualify for this level of care.
- Skilled Care Facility: Slower-paced rehabilitation services or specialized care such as IV therapy, specialized feedings or wound care.
- L TACH: A Long Term Acute Care Hospital provides care for patients who require long-term, specialized care such as ventilator support.
- Home Health Services: Nursing, nurses aid, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy or social services provided in the home setting.
- Outpatient Services: Clinics or physician offices that provide follow-up health care to patients following hospitalization.
- Hospice: Provides comfort and quality care for patients in the last six months of life.
- Assisted Living Facility: Delivers personal assistance, meals and help with resuming daily activities for patients who need this level of care.
Patient choice
Here at Alaska Regional Hospital, you can select which company will provide any medical equipment and services you might need to further recover. If you have a preference, please tell your case manager or social worker.
When you are discharged
At Alaska Regional Hospital, arranging for discharge begins upon your admission to the hospital. Many services take time to arrange and we want you to be able to return home safely when you are ready. We appreciate the opportunity to work with you and your family. Let us know how we can best serve you
To contact the Case Management and Social Services Director, call 264-1707.