A hospice director is in charge of coordinating and planning medical services for patients who are nearing the end of their lives. To do so, the director, also known as the hospice administrator, supervises all care efforts and ensures that all local, state or regional, and national regulations are followed. The hospice director is also in charge of planning or approving budgets, hiring, and possibly even teaching staff who require additional training. The director’s other responsibilities include serving as a liaison between patients, families, and staff.
The hospice director’s primary goal is to ensure that the facility is meeting the needs of the patients while also adhering to all applicable regulations. The hospice is responsible for meeting certain standards of care and cleanliness as a medical facility. If these are not followed, government inspectors may issue a fine or even shut down the facility. Because health-care regulations are constantly changing, the director is also responsible for keeping staff informed of any changes.
The hospice director’s other responsibilities include ensuring that the budget approved is appropriate and that expenses are in line with, or at a certain ratio to, revenues. The budgeting goal may differ depending on the type of hospice for which the director is responsible. The goal of a non-profit hospice is to ensure that expenses do not exceed revenues. The goal of a for-profit hospice is to make a certain amount of money. The paperwork and tax filings for the two types of agencies are also different.
Another important job of the hospice director is personnel oversight, which is directly related to patient care. While the director of human resources may not make hiring decisions, he or she may have a say or influence over at least some of the people hired. The director is also in charge of ensuring that staff receives all necessary training, not just for new regulations, but also for ongoing standards of care training and when the hospice has new policies to implement.
The hospice director is also responsible for acting as a liaison between family, patients, and staff, given the work that is done at a hospice and the emotions that can sometimes be involved. If the family believes something isn’t being done correctly, or if they simply have a question, the director may be contacted to provide an explanation. While other members of the team may be able to answer the question, the director is the final authority. Because it involves dealing with people who may be under a lot of stress, this can be one of the most difficult aspects of the job.