Job Description
Position Title: Spiritual Care Coordinator / Chaplain Asst.
Department: Spiritual Care
Job Description: General Description: The Spiritual Care Coordinator/Office of Decedent Affairs Coordinator is a key administrative and operational role within the Department of Spiritual Care at OU Health. Reporting to the Director of Spiritual Care (or designee), this position provides high-level coordination, administrative oversight, and liaison support for Spiritual Care operations and all Decedent Affairs processes following the death of a patient.
As part of Oklahoma's only academic health system, this role ensures that post-death processes are handled with professionalism, accuracy, compassion, and dignity. The Coordinator serves as a primary point of contact for families, funeral homes, clinical teams, and external partners, supporting bereavement care and patient experience priorities while ensuring regulatory, legal, and organizational requirements are met.
This position plays a critical role in upholding OU Health's commitment to whole-person care, compassionate presence, excellence, and respect for every individual-including after death.
Essential Responsibilities: Responsibilities listed in this section are core to the position. Inability to perform these responsibilities with or without an accommodation may result in disqualification from the position.
- Coordinate all post-death administrative and operational processes following the death of a patient.
- Serve as the primary liaison between OU Health, patient families, funeral homes, mortuaries, medical examiners, and other external partners.
- Ensure accurate, timely, and respectful release of decedents in accordance with hospital policy, legal requirements, and family wishes.
- Verify and manage required documentation, including:
- Death notifications
- Release of remains authorizations
- Funeral home coordination
- Chain-of-custody documentation
- Respond to and support families with compassion, clarity, and cultural sensitivity during the bereavement process.
- Collaborate closely with nursing, physicians, social work, security, patient experience, and Spiritual Care staff following a patient death.
- Support escalation and resolution of concerns related to decedent affairs, including service recovery when needed.
- Align Decedent Affairs processes with OU Health bereavement care standards and Patient Experience pillars.
- Support family-centered communication during and after a patient's death.
- Partner with Spiritual Care leadership and Patient Experience teams to identify opportunities for improvement in end-of-life and post-death processes.
- Assist in the coordination of bereavement resources, follow-up communication, and memorial practices as applicable.
- Contribute to a culture of dignity, compassion, and respect during moments of loss.
- Provide administrative and operational support to the Department of Spiritual Care.
- Coordinate schedules, meetings, documentation, and communications for spiritual care leadership and staff.
- Maintain departmental records, databases, and reporting tools.
- Support onboarding, training coordination, and departmental compliance activities.
- Assist with data collection, reporting, and preparation for audits, accreditation, or quality reviews.
- Utilize electronic medical records (EMR), case management systems, and departmental databases accurately and efficiently.
- Manage shared inboxes, phone lines, and communication workflows related to decedent affairs and spiritual care.
- Identify opportunities to improve workflows, documentation accuracy, and system efficiency.
- Maintain confidentiality and compliance with HIPAA and organizational privacy standards.
- Serve as a trusted administrative partner to Chaplains and leadership.
- Communicate clearly, professionally, and compassionately with internal and external stakeholders.
- Participate in interdisciplinary meetings, huddles, and improvement initiatives as assigned.
- Represent the Spiritual Care Department with professionalism and emotional intelligence.
General Responsibilities: - Performs other duties as assigned
Minimum Qualifications :
Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) required.
Experience: One year of administrative experience required. Two years of experience in a funeral home, religious/ministry setting, hospital, or similar environment preferred. Experience in healthcare preferred.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: - Knowledge of funeral customs of various religious, ethnic, and fraternal groups.
- Knowledge of State of Oklahoma laws and processes related to deceased disposition.
- Ability to work effectively with family members during emotional crisis.
- Demonstrated experience in administrative coordination, office management, or healthcare operations.
- Exceptional computer, technology, and office management skills.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to manage sensitive situations with compassion, professionalism, and discretion.
- Demonstrated organizational skills with high attention to detail and accuracy.
- Experience working in a healthcare, hospice, hospital, or academic medical center setting.
- Experience with decedent affairs, bereavement services, patient experience, or family liaison roles.
- Familiarity with electronic medical records and healthcare documentation workflows.
- Experience coordinating with external partners such as funeral homes or regulatory agencies.
- Compassionate communication and emotional intelligence.
- Cultural humility and respect for diverse beliefs and practices.
- Professional discretion and confidentiality.
- Process coordination and problem-solving.
- Collaboration and teamwork.
- Demonstrate advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, scheduling systems, and hospital-based platforms.
Current OU Health Employees - Please click HERE to login. OU Health is an equal opportunity employer. We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including PTO, 401(k), medical and dental plans, and many more. We know that a total benefits and compensation package, designed to meet your specific needs both inside and outside of the work environment, create peace of mind for you and your family.
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