Lead, Care Coordination - Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital-Lakeland, FL

Overview

Position Summary:

Collaborates with the assigned care coordination team to include clinical support, guidance, and educational direction while also identifying patients most likely to benefit from care coordination services to include assessing patients’ risk factors, the need for care coordination, clinical utilization management, and preventative care services.

Opening Summer 2026 at 4000 Lakeland Highlands Road, Lakeland, FL.

The Orlando Health System of Care includes award-winning hospitals and ERs, specialty institutes, urgent care centers, primary care practices and outpatient facilities that span Florida’s east to west coasts, Central Alabama and Puerto Rico. Collectively, our dedicated team members honor our over 100-year legacy by providing professional and compassionate care to the patients, families and communities we serve. Join us!

Combining the collective strengths of two powerhouse organizations, Orlando Health and the high-quality physicians at Watson Clinic are expanding access to award-winning specialty care for patients in Polk County and beyond.

Opening in summer 2026,
Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital – a state-of-the-art, seven-story, multi-specialty hospital – will serve as a vital 550,000 square-foot healthcare hub offering:

• 300+ inpatient beds and 69 emergency and observation beds
• 11 operating rooms and four cardiac interventional suites
• Dedicated labor and delivery services – including a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) that will debut shortly after the hospital opens
• Comprehensive cardiovascular, neurology, and oncology services
• Advanced surgical procedures

Join us in shaping the future of healthcare in Polk County as part of the Orlando Health Watson Clinic Lakeland Highlands Hospital opening team and share in the privilege of saying you were there from the very beginning.

Benefits Beyond the Expected

Orlando Health is committed to providing you with benefits that go beyond the expected, with career-growing FREE education programs and well-being services to support you and your family through every stage of life. We begin your benefits on day one and offer flexibility wherever possible, so that you can be present for your passions. “Orlando Health Is Your Best Place to Work” is not just something we say, it’s our promise to you.

• Benefits that begin on Day 1
• Four (4) weeks paid parental leave
• Debt-free degrees through our Preferred Education Program
• Tuition reimbursement and loan repayment programs
• Back-up childcare and elder care
• Fertility benefits and adoption assistance
• NCLEX reimbursement
• Free NCPDs for RN license
• Free Kaplan review courses
• Dedicated RN career counselor and GN Coordinators to develop you
• Specialty certifications reimbursement
• And more!

• Takes the lead in ensuring the continuity and consistency of care across the continuum (inpatient, emergency, and ambulatory care/outpatient) to ensure integrated delivery across all settings to include the facilitation of comprehensive discharge planning (in the hospital) and follow-up care (as an outpatient).
• Develops an effective working relationship with the Licensed Mental Health Counselors/Social Workers and the UR nurses to engage the patient/family to collaborate, advocate and problem solve, and to support and enhance their functional ability while ensuring an appropriate and timely discharge plan.
• Assists in collaboration with the assigned team to identify patients most likely to benefit from care coordination services to include assessing the patient s risk factors and needs for care coordination, clinical utilization management services, and preventative services.
• Serves as mentor to care coordination team through guidance, education, and motivation.
• Daily monitoring of team performance and progress towards discharge plans and/or need to alter discharge plan due to change in patient condition/family needs, with a priority placed on those patients at highest risk for complication/admission/readmission.
• Develops collaborative relationships with the site patient care administrators, medical staff leadership, managed care contractors, and community leaders.
• Ensures…