Respiratory Therapist (Part Time)

About North Country Healthcare (NCH): 

North Country Healthcare is a non-profit affiliation of four medical facilities, Androscoggin Valley Hospital, North Country Home Health & Hospice Agency, Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital, and Weeks Medical Center, located in the White Mountains Region of New Hampshire. NCH includes numerous physicians and medical providers at multiple locations. This leading comprehensive healthcare network which employs hundreds of highly trained individuals delivers integrated patient care through three community hospitals, specialty clinics, and home health and hospice services. NCH remains committed to the health and well-being of the communities we serve. As a valued team member this role emphasizes advancing High-Reliability Organization (HRO) principles, embedding a culture of safety, accountability, and consistent high performance. 

Position Summary: 

Adhering to System Values, Service Excellence, and Standards of Behavior, Respiratory Therapist is responsible for providing respiratory therapy support, customer service, education, equipment coordination, and clinical follow-up related to home medical equipment and respiratory products. This role supports the sale, rental, delivery, setup, and ongoing use of respiratory equipment, including oxygen, CPAP, BiPAP, ventilators, apnea monitors, and other home medical supplies. 

The Respiratory Therapist evaluates patient and client needs, coordinates equipment placement, provides education to patients, families, caregivers, and referral sources, and ensures appropriate documentation, insurance verification, follow-up, and troubleshooting. This position serves as a liaison between Home Medical Supplies, North Country Home Health and Hospice Agency, providers, caregivers, and other healthcare professionals to promote safe, effective, and compliant use of home respiratory equipment. 

Essential Qualifications: 

Education:  

• Graduate of an accredited Respiratory Therapy program or equivalent education and training required to meet state licensure and professional practice requirements. 

• Associate degree or higher in Respiratory Therapy or related healthcare field is preferred. 

• Additional coursework or training in home care, durable medical equipment, oxygen therapy, non-invasive ventilation, or patient education is preferred. 

Certification or Licensure: 

• Current and valid New Hampshire Respiratory Care Practitioner license, or ability to obtain and maintain licensure as required. 

• Valid driver’s license with an excellent driving record. 

• Certified Respiratory Therapy Technician, Registered Respiratory Therapist, or registry-eligible status, or equivalent training and experience as determined appropriate for the role. 

• Registered Respiratory Therapist credential is preferred. 

• CPAP, BiPAP, ventilator, oxygen therapy, or home medical equipment related training or certification are preferred. 

• Additional continuing education related to respiratory care, home care, patient education, or durable medical equipment is advantageous. 

• All employees and contracted staff will have either successful completion of an American Heart Association* accredited course in Basic Life Support (BLS), or ACLS and PALS combined. (for clinical staff), Heartsaver CPR AED (for nonclinical staff), and renewal on a regular basis.  

*Refer to the NCH Life Support Certification Policy for position specific requirements. 

Skills: 

• Strong customer service and patient education skills. 

• Above-average verbal communication and interpersonal skills. 

• Ability to communicate effectively with patients, families, caregivers, physicians, nurses, referral sources, vendors, and internal team members. 

• Strong organizational and prioritization skills. 

• Ability to exercise sound judgment, tact, professionalism, and confidentiality. 

• Ability to troubleshoot equipment issues and coordinate appropriate follow-up. 

• Working knowledge of respiratory equipment, home medical equipment, oxygen systems, CPAP, BiPAP, ventilators, and apnea monitors. 

• Knowledge of Medicare, insurance, documentation, prior authorization, and coverage requirements preferred. 

• Ability to complete accurate documentation, paperwork, computer entry, and billing-related information. 

• Ability to work independently, respond to urgent needs, and manage multiple calls, inquiries, and priorities. 

• Ability to maintain a clean, neat, and professional appearance when working with patients, families, and referral sources. 

• Ability to support promotion and education of Home Medical Equipment services and products. 

Work Experience: 

Required 

• Prior experience in a home care, respiratory care, home medical equipment, durable medical equipment, or related healthcare setting. 

• Experience providing patient or caregiver education. 

• Experience working with respiratory equipment such as oxygen, CPAP, BiPAP, ventilators, apnea monitors, or related home respiratory equipment. 

Preferred 

• Experience working with Medicare, Medicaid, commercial insurance, prior authorizations, and documentation requirements. 

• Experience in home oxygen therapy, non-invasive ventilation, durable medical equipment delivery, or respiratory equipment setup. 

• Experience working with pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patient populations.  

Essential Functions: 

• Performs customer service functions related to the sale, rental, delivery, setup, and ongoing support of home medical equipment and respiratory products. 

• Dispenses, delivers, sets up, and instructs patients, clients, families, and caregivers on the safe and appropriate use of respiratory equipment, including oxygen, CPAP, BiPAP, ventilators, apnea monitors, and related supplies. 

• Evaluates patient and client respiratory equipment needs and places appropriate equipment in the home setting based on physician orders, clinical requirements, and patient needs. 

• Provides education and follow-up support to patients, families, caregivers, and referral sources regarding respiratory equipment use, maintenance, safety, troubleshooting, and compliance expectations. 

• Coordinates with physicians, nurses, caregivers, home care providers, and other referral sources to ensure equipment, orders, documentation, and patient needs are appropriately addressed. 

• Obtains verbal orders from physicians and assists in verifying insurance coverage, prior authorizations, and documentation requirements for respiratory equipment and supplies. 

• Completes required intake of paperwork, documentation, demographic entry, insurance information, medical information, and charge entry into the appropriate computer or documentation system. 

• Implements changes in treatment or equipment use as prescribed by the patient’s physician and communicates changes to appropriate parties as needed. 

• Troubleshoots of respiratory equipment concerns patients, clients, families, and caregivers and coordinates escalation or service support when equipment issues cannot be resolved independently. 

• Initiates, schedules, and completes follow-up phone calls, assessments, and home visits for patients using apnea monitors, ventilators, CPAP, BiPAP, oxygen, and other respiratory equipment as needed. 

• Assesses patient tolerance, compliance, satisfaction, and understanding related to respiratory equipment and documents findings, concerns, and follow-up actions. 

• Acts as a liaison between North Country Home Medical Supplies, North Country Home Health and Hospice Agency, caregivers, physicians, home care nursing providers, and other healthcare professionals. 

• Responds to after-hours emergencies, equipment concerns, and delivery needs as assigned, including participation in on-call responsibilities. 

• Maintains adequate inventory levels of respiratory equipment and supplies, initiates ordering processes, and supports timely availability of equipment for patient care needs. 

• Assists with the development, review, and improvement of policies, procedures, workflows, education materials, and service processes related to respiratory equipment, home medical equipment, and patient support. 

• Performs additional duties as assigned. 

North Country Healthcare is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees. North Country Healthcare and its affiliates do not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability or any other protected class. Employment decisions are made based on job related qualifications, skills, and business needs, and without unlawful discrimination in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. 

North Country Healthcare provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and to individuals with sincerely held religious beliefs, as required by law. Applicants who require reasonable accommodation to complete the application process, participate in interviews, or undergo pre-employment testing should contact NCHRecruiting@northcountryhealth.org.