Surgery Scheduler (ENT)

External Brand•Austin, TX

About The Position

Schedules surgeries for physicians at local surgery centers and hospitals, and creates and maintains physician surgery schedules. Obtains insurance authorizations and verifies benefits. Performs duties in compliance with confidentiality requirements while promoting the organization’s mission and philosophy. Coordinates surgery scheduling with physicians and clinical teams, including pre-operative and post-operative appointments. Communicates with patients about pre-surgical instructions, consents, estimates, authorization information, and questions. Coordinates surgical devices or implants with vendor representatives and surgical assistant coverage when applicable. Prepares surgery checklists, pre-operative orders, and facility documentation; codes surgery orders; and updates EPIC and Outlook calendars when schedules change. The role also verifies insurance benefits and authorization requirements, arranges peer-to-peer reviews when authorizations are denied, requests surgery cost estimates, and initiates charity processes for uninsured patients when applicable. It reviews patient history and medications in EPIC and verifies required medical or specialist clearances. The scheduler makes timely outgoing calls, returns patient calls, assists other surgery schedulers, and may support front desk and business office staff. Regular and dependable attendance and holiday shifts as required by company policy are expected.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Experience working in a medical office setting.
Knowledge of ICD and CPT coding methodology.
Ability to engage others, listen, and adapt responses to meet others’ needs.
Ability to align personal actions with those of team members working toward common goals.
Excellent computer and keyboarding skills, including familiarity with Windows.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to manage competing priorities.
Ability to perform job duties professionally at all times.
Ability to understand, recall, and apply oral or written instructions and other information.
Ability to organize thoughts and ideas into understandable terminology.
Ability to apply common sense in performing the job.

Nice To Haves

Three or more years of experience working in a surgical setting, including surgery scheduling.

Responsibilities

Coordinate with physicians and clinical teams to schedule surgeries at local surgery centers and hospitals, along with pre-operative and post-operative appointments.
Coordinate surgical devices and implants with vendor representatives.
Coordinate surgical assistant coverage when applicable.
Meet or communicate with patients before surgery to review pre-surgical instructions, consents, surgical estimates, insurance authorization information, and questions.
Complete surgery checklists with appropriate information and knowledge of each physician’s schedule and surgery guidelines.
Create pre-operative orders and fax them to the facility with the H&P, patient insurance, and demographic information.
Facilitate surgery cancellations, time changes, date changes, and order changes, and communicate changes to all involved parties.
Update EPIC and Outlook calendars with changes or additions to physician schedules.
Code surgery orders before sending them to the facility.
Obtain insurance benefits and authorization requirements for procedures, and set up peer-to-peer reviews when authorizations are denied.
Request surgery cost estimates from the financial counselor, anesthesia, and facility.
Initiate the charity process with a hospital or surgery center for uninsured patients when applicable.
Review patient history and medications for accuracy in EPIC and verify medical or specialist clearance before surgery.
Make timely outgoing calls to patients who need to schedule a procedure and check voicemails frequently to return patient calls.
Assist other surgery schedulers as needed.
Follow company policies, including OSHA, HIPAA, compliance, and Code of Conduct requirements.
Maintain regular and dependable attendance and work holiday shifts as required by company policy.
Follow the company’s core competencies.
Assist front desk and business office staff as needed.
Perform other duties as assigned.