Director of Surgery Scheduling

Healthcare Outcomes Performance Company•Phoenix, AZ

11d

About The Position

The Director of Surgery Scheduling leads scheduling operations and capacity planning across surgical and procedural locations, including a specialty hospital. The role governs operating room and procedure room blocks and templates, applies utilization data to guide allocation and reallocation, and partners with surgeons and operational leaders to support access, growth, case volume, and service quality. The Director oversees daily scheduling operations and readiness standards in coordination with perioperative, anesthesia, pre-admission testing, clinic, Patient Access, and Revenue Cycle teams. The role monitors scheduling performance, audits accuracy and adherence, addresses root causes of operational issues, and develops policies, procedures, and workflow or system improvements. It also leads scheduling managers, leads, and staff, and ensures scheduling practices comply with applicable payer, regulatory, and HIPAA requirements. The position works in a normal office environment with regular presence at surgical, procedural, and clinic sites, and requires travel between sites and for training as business needs require. Physical demands include sitting and standing, some bending and stretching, and manual dexterity using a calculator and computer keyboard. HOPCo Mission, Vision, and Values must be acknowledged and adhered to. Duties and working conditions may change as needs evolve.

Requirements

At least 10 years of experience in surgical or procedural scheduling or perioperative operations.
At least 5 years of experience in a leadership role.
Experience managing block and template allocation and utilization, including working directly with surgeons.
Bachelor's degree in healthcare administration, business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Deep knowledge of surgical and procedural scheduling, block and template management, and OR capacity planning.
Strong knowledge of perioperative workflow, including pre-admission, clearance, authorization, and case-readiness processes.
Working knowledge of Medicare, Medicaid, commercial insurance, and managed care requirements affecting scheduling and authorization.
Strong knowledge of operational management, workflow design, and performance measurement across multiple locations.
Understanding of physician practice and ambulatory surgery operations and their impact on growth and access.
Analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to use utilization and scheduling data to make and defend decisions.
Strong written and verbal communication and presentation skills, including facilitating discussions among diverse perspectives.
Negotiation and influence skills with surgeons, physicians, and executive leaders.
Ability to develop, coach, and lead high-performing teams in a technology-enabled environment across multiple locations.
Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and scheduling or electronic health record systems.
Ability to hold surgeons and leaders accountable to agreed standards with credibility and professionalism.
Ability to exercise sound judgment and make timely decisions based on accurate analysis.
Ability to motivate teams and drive sustained performance improvement.
Ability to travel between sites and for training as business needs require.
Acknowledge and adhere to HOPCo Mission, Vision, and Values.

Nice To Haves

Experience scheduling across multiple sites and care settings, such as clinics, ambulatory surgery centers, procedure centers, or a hospital.
Experience with Epic or a comparable scheduling and practice management system.

Responsibilities

Govern operating room and procedure room block and template allocation, release, and reallocation rules, using utilization data to guide adjustments.
Plan and manage room capacity across all sites, including the specialty hospital, to maximize access, utilization, and case volume while protecting service quality.
Establish standards for add-ons, urgent cases, cancellations, and reschedules, and resolve scheduling conflicts among surgeons and sites.
Partner with surgeons, practice leaders, and service line leaders to align schedules with growth plans, new providers, and new service offerings.
Hold surgeons and leaders accountable to block, template, and scheduling standards, using utilization data in discussions.
Present performance results and recommendations to executive, physician, and operational leaders.
Direct daily surgical and procedural scheduling operations to meet targets for time to schedule, accuracy, and case-booking completeness.
Establish scheduling-readiness standards with perioperative, anesthesia, pre-admission testing, and clinic teams, covering clearances, orders, authorization status, and instrument, implant, and equipment needs.
Partner with perioperative leaders to improve first-case on-time starts, reduce day-of-surgery cancellations, and resolve recurring scheduling-related delays.
Coordinate with Patient Access and Revenue Cycle leadership to reduce denials related to authorization, demographic, and insurance errors originating in scheduling.
Establish and report performance measures, including block and template utilization, first-case on-time starts, cancellation rate, time to schedule, and denial rate attributed to scheduling.
Audit scheduling accuracy and adherence to standards, identify root causes, and implement corrective action.
Develop, implement, and maintain scheduling policies and procedures; evaluate and recommend scheduling systems and workflow improvements.
Lead, develop, and evaluate scheduling managers, leads, and staff, including training, coaching, performance management, and discipline; exercise hiring, discipline, and termination authority or make weighted recommendations on those actions.
Hold regular team and cross-functional meetings that produce clear decisions, owners, and deadlines.
Maintain working knowledge of payer requirements affecting scheduling and authorization, and ensure compliance with payer and regulatory requirements.
Ensure records are stored securely and handled in compliance with HIPAA privacy and security requirements.
Perform other related duties as assigned.
Travel between sites and for training as business needs require.