Role summary
Akido is seeking a Utilization Management Lead for Inpatient Case Management. This hands-on role involves leading inpatient status determination, transitions of care, and complex case management for high-risk members. Responsibilities include performing admission and concurrent reviews, coordinating post-discharge follow-up, developing individualized care plans, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. The Lead will also refine program operations, build team structure for scaling, and collaborate with internal teams and external partners. The position requires an active California RN license and 5+ years of clinical experience, including 3+ years in inpatient utilization management and complex case management within a managed care setting. Experience with MCG criteria and program scaling is essential.
The Opportunity
The Utilization Management Lead, Inpatient Case Management, is responsible for leading Akido's inpatient case management function across three pillars: inpatient status determination, transitions of care, and complex case management. This is a hands-on role. The Lead reviews and determines status for delegated inpatient and SNF admissions, owns post-discharge transitions for members leaving those facilities, and carries the complex case management caseload for high-risk members, including direct member and caregiver outreach. As the program moves past its current MVP, the Lead will refine stratification, outreach, and documentation standards, operationalize admission and discharge notification workflows, and build the team structure needed to scale as membership grows. The role sits within the Utilization Management department in a California managed care environment, reports to the UM Manager, and works closely with the Medical Director, PCPs, facilities, health plan partners, and operational teams.
What you'll do
Pillar 1: Inpatient status determination
Perform initial admission and concurrent review for delegated inpatient and SNF admissions using MCG and health plan criteria, and determine appropriate status and level of care
Prepare clinical summaries and route cases that do not meet criteria to the Medical Director for determination within required timeframes
Coordinate with facility case managers on continued stay, discharge readiness, and post-acute placement
Document reviews, determinations, and rationale in EZCap and maintain compliance with notification and turnaround requirements Pillar 2: Transitions of care
Own post-discharge follow-up for members discharged from inpatient and skilled nursing facilities: respond to admission and discharge notifications, complete outreach and medication reconciliation, and coordinate follow-up visits within required timeframes
Operationalize the ADT/TCM notification feed: define which events trigger outreach, set response timeframes and escalation paths, and validate notifications against facility admissions
Coordinate discharge planning with hospital and SNF case managers, home health, DME, and PCP offices to prevent avoidable readmissions Pillar 3: Complex case management and member outreach
Carry the complex case management caseload for high-risk members: identify and enroll eligible members, complete comprehensive assessments, and develop individualized, patient-centered care plans in collaboration with the Medical Director and treating providers
Lead interdisciplinary care team coordination for medically and psychosocially complex populations, ensuring evidence-based care plans are delivered and updated
Conduct ongoing member and caregiver outreach, medication review and reconciliation, and coordination of specialist, ancillary, and community resources, documenting time and activities
Define and apply case closure criteria and transition members to lower-intensity care management when appropriate Program scale and compliance
Scale the program past MVP: refine risk stratification and enrollment criteria, outreach cadence, care plan standards, documentation requirements, and closure criteria
Finalize and maintain the policies and procedures required for delegated inpatient review and complex case management, and keep case files audit-ready
Prepare for and support health plan audits, and produce the monthly and quarterly transitions of care and case management reports owed to health plans
Maintain compliance with CMS, DMHC, and health plan delegation standards, including timeliness, notification, and documentation requirements Leadership and team building
Report program performance to the UM Manager and Medical Director, and recommend workflow changes based on the data
Build the team structure as the program scales: define roles, caseload distribution, and coverage model; coach, train, and onboard case management staff added as membership grows
Partner with UM nurses and coordinators, Claims, Eligibility, Network, and Operations to resolve member and provider issues
Serve as the clinical point of contact for health plan care management partners and for PCPs across Akido clinics and the contracted network Who you are
Active, unrestricted California RN license (required)
5+ years of clinical experience, including 3+ years combined in inpatient utilization management and complex case management in a managed care, IPA, MSO, or health plan setting
Working knowledge of MCG criteria and inpatient status determination
Experience with transitions of care, discharge planning, and post-acute coordination for Medicare Advantage or similar populations
Experience building or scaling a care management program, or demonstrated ownership of program-level outcomes (preferred)
Certified Case Manager (CCM) or equivalent certification (preferred)
Experience in a delegated MSO or health plan environment, including preparation for delegation audits (preferred)
Working knowledge of CMS and DMHC requirements for delegated UM and case management, HEDIS Transitions of Care measures, and readmission drivers
Experience with EZCap or comparable managed care systems (preferred)
Strong clinical assessment and care planning skills, with attention to documentation quality
Comfortable with data: able to read program reports, spot trends, and use them to adjust workflows
Effective written and verbal communication with members, providers, health plan partners, and leadership
Ability to manage competing priorities and fixed regulatory timeframes in a fast-paced environment
Bilingual English/Spanish (preferred) Salary range$103,000—$130,000 USD
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