Position Spotlight: Recovery Care Coordinator

Shayne was born and raised in the Pittsburgh, PA area, and grew up about 45 minutes north of the city in a town called Butler, PA. He went to Butler County Community College to obtain his associate degree in nursing and then attended Slippery Rock University for his bachelor’s in nursing.  

Shayne has experience in nearly every kind of nursing, from skilled nursing to med-surg, to telemetry, critical care, PACU and emergency nursing. Although he loved being a nurse on the hospital floor, his heart and soul pushed him to find a more fulfilling way to help patients. This led him to become a member of the Contessa team in 2021.  

Outside of nursing, Shayne enjoys traveling to new and exciting places. He recently made a trip to Mexico and plans to visit Maine for his mom’s 60th birthday next August. He also enjoys cooking, yoga, live music, astrology and spending the summers at his aunt’s pool with friends and family.  

What does a Recovery Care Coordinator do at Contessa? 

As a Recovery Care Coordinator (RCC), I am responsible for coordinating patients’ admissions into Recovery Care at Home. My goal as an RCC is to make the transition from the hospital to the program as seamless and stress-free as possible for patients and their families. I work to make sure everyone involved in the care of the patient understands their role and what is expected of them to ensure a safe, smooth and easy transition from the hospital to the comfort of the patient’s own home.  

Why did you choose a career in nursing? Specifically, this career? What inspires you to come to work every day?  

When I was young, I always wanted to help people. I come from a family of nurses and caring for patients is in my DNA.  Being a nurse allows me to help make a direct impact on the type of care my patients and families receive during a frightening or stressful time. I always had a goal to give back to my local community, and by working at the community hospital, I was able to give back to the hardworking people of my hometown. Caring for patients how I would want my family, friends or myself to be cared for is my nursing philosophy and inspires me to wake up and go to work every day to ensure patients receive the care they deserve.  

How does the work you do at Contessa differ from other jobs? 

My job at Contessa is unique and special. Being able to care for hospitalized patients in the comfort of their own home is unlike any type of nursing I have heard of or been a part of. My job provides me with the opportunity to make a direct impact on the care the patient receives by ensuring proper and excellent coordination into Recovery Care at Home. I couldn’t do this job without the help of all the amazing team members that assist with the program.   

What’s the most challenging part of your job? 

The most challenging part of being an RCC is wearing multiple hats at any given moment. The RCC is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the patient admission and sometimes even after the admission is complete. We work closely with the virtual care unit (VCU), ancillary vendors, Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Healthcare at Home, AHN Home Infusion, hospital case management and other hospital staff–all involving patient coordination into the Recovery Care at Home program. For this to be executed in the most efficient way, it’s vital for an RCC to juggle many ongoing conversations at the same time. This ensures every staff member involved understands their role. It also closes the loop, guaranteeing that those tasks were done efficiently and correctly. Ultimately, it’s about providing the patient with superior care.   

What is the best part of your job? 

There are two things that make working in Recovery Care at Home the best. First, working with a small group of amazing team members allows for great teamwork and a feeling of family in the workplace. The second part (and my most favorite) is being able to help patients in a time when they felt helpless or had no idea what to do or what is happening with their care. Recovery Care at Home eases their fears. Seeing patients and families smile and hearing the joy of how well patients do in Recovery Care at Home makes any stressful day seem insignificant.