JobsAdvocate Health

Inpatient Care Manager

Advocate Health · Oak Lawn, IL

Posted Sep 9, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

Behavioral

Tell me about a time a family disagreed with the discharge plan the team thought was best for the child. What did you do?

skill in negotiating with families while keeping the patient's clinical needs and safety central

Describe a time you had to coordinate a discharge involving several departments or outside agencies at once. How did you keep everyone aligned?

ability to run cross-functional coordination without dropping details

Tell me about a time you worked closely with a social worker on a complex family situation. How did you divide the work?

clarity on scope boundaries between case management and social work

Tell me about a time your discharge plan didn't work and the patient bounced back or the plan fell apart. What did you learn?

honesty and reflection about failure, and whether they adjust their process afterward

Technical

Walk me through how you would assess a newly admitted pediatric patient for discharge planning starting on day one, before the discharge date is even known.

whether the candidate builds discharge planning into the whole stay rather than treating it as a last-day task

How do you keep track of Medicare A and B guidelines and managed care requirements when they affect a patient's length of stay?

actual working knowledge of payer rules versus surface familiarity

What does a concurrent review look like for you day to day, and how do you decide when a case needs to go to the physician advisor?

whether they actually understand utilization review workflow, not just discharge planning

What community resources have you actually used to place a pediatric patient with a difficult housing or family situation?

real familiarity with local resources versus generic knowledge

What age-specific considerations come into play when you're assessing a toddler's needs versus a teenager's, when it comes to planning their care after discharge?

whether the candidate genuinely adapts approach for pediatric age ranges, given the children's hospital setting

Situational

A physician wants to discharge a patient but you believe the home situation isn't safe yet. How do you handle that conversation?

comfort pushing back on physicians using clinical and psychosocial evidence, not just deference

Tell me about a case where insurance denied coverage for continued stay or a service the patient needed. What did you do next?

experience with the denial and appeal process and working with physician advisors

You're delivering a CMS regulatory notice within a required timeframe and the family is upset and confused by it. How do you handle that conversation?

ability to balance regulatory obligation with compassionate communication

How do you prioritize your caseload on a day when three patients are ready for discharge, one has a denial pending, and a new admission just came in?

organizational judgment under competing time pressures typical of the job

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The full job description

As published by Advocate Health.

Department: 11211 Advocate Lutheran General Hospital - Social Services: ACH Status: Full time Benefits Eligible: Yes Hou rs Per Week: 40 Schedule Details/Additional Information: full time day shift with holiday rotation Pay Range: $38.20 - $57.30 MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES Conducts complete assessments, establishes appropriate plans, and initiates interventions within desired timeframes. Collaborates and negotiates effectively with patient, family, and team while striving to achieve patient and organizational goals with regard to patient’s care needs, choice and satisfaction when discharge planning/transitioning care. Utilizes patient/family strengths in the problem-solving process, involving the patient/family and team in the decision-making process beginning on admission and continuing throughout patient’s hospital stay. Provides continuity of care and discharge planning services compliant with regulatory standards by providing coordinated relevant options and services based on assessed needs to ensure patient/family and healthcare team is informed and able to proceed with accountabilities in a timely manner. This includes participating in the communication process to facilitate a smooth transition for patient, family, and staff when patients are transferred. Provides case management services related to various levels of health care, finances, housing, family discord, or illness adjustment, based department scope. This may include managing family dynamics and crisis situations in a timely and professional manner, using community resources effectively, and educating patient/family regarding access to and use of services. Initiates internal and external referrals to assure timely progression of care and transitions. Documents discharge planning interventions and utilization review activity per department and medical center standards in a timely manner. Performs and documents accurate and timely concurrent and retrospective reviews based on approved established criteria as required by department standards. Communicates effectively with the healthcare team. Works in partnership with Social Work and unlicensed support personnel to effectively establish and implement a safe plan of care. Serves as an active member of the Outcome Facilitation Team/Patient Care Multidisciplinary Team and works closely with medical staff, hospital departments and ancillary services in identification and resolution of barriers to discharge, expediting care delivery to avoid delays in timely service provision, and implementing and reporting care coordination, discharge planning and utilization management (UM) activities. Collaborates with managers, physicians, medical directors, advisory groups, and treatment teams for issues related to physician practices and best practices for the patient’s plan of care. Refers cases to physician advisor as needed to ensure efficient progression of care, accurate status, and compliance with regulatory guidelines. Remains knowledgeable in issues of healthcare regulations, reimbursement issues, impact on length of stay and community resources. Completes UM activities as required based on local structure to include providing clinical updates to payers and/or external review organizations, collecting data, coordinating denial activity, supporting UM activity, and managing avoidable delays. Delivers CMS regulatory notices within CMS established timeframes, as appropriate based on-site guidelines. Develops and maintains productive relationships with community-based agencies and networks by representing Advocate Aurora Health Care in a positive manner working collaboratively, internally, and externally, to meet patient/family needs. Works in collaboration with Advocate Aurora Ambulatory Care Management and Continuing Health to meet common goals and outcomes. Serves as an educator and expert resource to medical and hospital staff regarding admission status and acute care criteria, utilization management issues, care coordination and discharge planning needs, and relevant regulatory requirements. Must be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served. Must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to his/her age-specific needs, and to provide the care needed as described in the department's policies and procedures. Age-specific information is developed further in the departmental job standards. License/Registration/Certification: Registered Nurse License issued by the state in which the Team Member practices. Level of Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing Years of Experience: 2 years of clinical nursing experience. KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES Ability to prioritize and organize work. Effective communication skills. Utilization of critical thinking and timely decision making. Ability to navigate the Electronic Health Record. Basic utilization of MS Office products. Knowledge of Medicare A and B guidelines. Knowledge of Managed Care program requirements/implications. Ability to apply elements of Utilization Management programs. Physical REQUIREMENTS Must be able to sit up to approximately 50 percent of the workday; stand and walk for the equivalent of several blocks at a time. Must lift up to 10 lbs. continuously, up to 20 lbs. frequently, and up to 50 lbs. occasionally. Manual dexterity required for operation computer and calculator. Visual acuity required for facilitating review of written documents/computer screens, medical records, and to record information accurately. Clear verbal communications and hearing acuity required for receiving instructions and converse on standard telephone. Functional speech and hearing to allow for effective communication of instructions and conversation over the telephone. Exposed to normal office environment; including usual hazards related to operating electrical equipment. Operates all equipment necessary to perform the job. This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties. Our Commitment to You: Advocate Health offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so you can live fully at and away from work, including: Compensation • Base compensation listed within the listed pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training • Premium pay such as shift, on call, and more based on a teammate's job • Incentive pay for select positions • Opportunity for annual increases based on performance Benefits and more • Paid Time Off programs • Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability • Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses • Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave • Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs • Educational Assistance Program Note: Eligibility for programs listed above may depend on your FTE or status (e.g., full-time, part-time, per diem, temporary, etc.); please ask a Recruiter for more information during an interview. About Advocate Health  Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.

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