Surgery Scheduler/Triage (South Austin Clinic) - Texas Orthopedics (2683)

Ortholonestar•Austin, TX

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Surgery Scheduler/Triage oversees and coordinates clinical care outside clinic office visits, providing concierge customer service while helping ensure quality and patient safety. The role coordinates and communicates with patients, providers, and third parties about incoming inquiries and follows up on action items throughout patients’ recovery. The position handles incoming calls and schedules surgeries, imaging, procedures, pre-operative and follow-up visits, and initial physical therapy appointments. It supports authorization and eligibility processes, maintains accurate information in the electronic medical record, relays updates to patients and physicians, and issues orders and prescriptions according to physician instructions. The role also monitors calls and patient cases, supports patient education, tracks adverse events and patient-reported outcomes, and provides coverage for peers. Some travel between clinic locations is required. The work is performed in a combination clinic and office setting, with exposure to communicable diseases, toxic substances, radiation, and bodily fluids. The position requires sitting for extended periods, lifting and carrying items weighing up to 50 pounds, full range of motion, and sufficient visual, hearing, and speaking abilities to perform the work and interact appropriately with others.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Two years of experience as a medical assistant in a hospital, home health, or office setting.
Knowledge of computer systems and applications.
Knowledge of medical terminology.
Pharmaceutical knowledge.
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
Attention to detail.
Excellent problem-solving skills.
Ability to sit for extended periods.
Ability to lift and carry items weighing up to 50 pounds.
Must have full range of motion.
Adequate visual acuity to read and ability to interpret and understand written material.
Adequate hearing and speaking abilities to interact appropriately with patients and coworkers.

Nice To Haves

Two years of surgery scheduling experience, preferred.
Orthopedics-related experience, preferred.
Current Medical Assistant certification (CMA), preferred.

Responsibilities

Receive, document, and handle incoming calls.
Schedule surgeries, MRI scans, CT scans, myelograms, epidurals, pre-operative appointments, follow-up appointments, and initial physical therapy appointments at appropriate facilities.
Complete surgery checklists with appropriate information and knowledge of each physician’s schedule and surgery guidelines.
Submit medical records and work with providers on documentation needed to obtain pre-authorization.
Consult with the appropriate provider to confirm medical necessity before submitting treatment requests to insurance plans.
Monitor the authorization process and keep physicians and patients updated as needed.
Document authorization numbers and effective dates accurately in the electronic medical record.
Schedule peer-to-peer calls when necessary.
Assist with prior authorization, eligibility verification, and estimates of expected patient costs.
Issue prescriptions, physical therapy orders, home exercises, work restrictions, and other orders according to physician instructions; assist with patient education.
Help ensure medication requests received before 4 p.m. and all patient cases are addressed on the same business day; notify patients when an answer will be provided the next business day.
Facilitate capture of patients’ opioid history for physician review.
Queue lab results into the system through the EMR interface.
Schedule patient appointments when needed.
Review the assigned physician’s surgery schedule in advance for quality assurance and make corrections as needed.
Work with the Surgery Coordinator/Triage Team Lead and Office Manager to coordinate training on physician preferences.
Track adverse events, including post-operative complications and hospital readmissions.
Facilitate capture of patient-reported outcomes through the appropriate platform.
Monitor assigned voicemail and return calls the same day.
Maintain information in strict confidentiality.
Provide coverage for peers when assigned.
Travel to other locations as required.
Perform other duties as assigned.