Surgery Scheduling Specialist - Cardiology

Vanderbilt University Medical Center•Nashville, TN

About The Position

The Surgery Scheduling Specialist coordinates with patients, physicians, and operating rooms to schedule surgeries with minimal guidance. The role supports efficient workflows, appropriate use of technology, and effective communication. It is part of the VHVI Access Center within Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute, a cardiovascular care program offering specialized treatment, advanced technology, innovative therapies, and research. The position works Monday through Friday during the day. The specialist coordinates routine and complex surgery scheduling across locations, including multi-panel and multi-surgeon cases, and may schedule appointments related to surgery. The role also verifies patient eligibility and coverage, discusses potential financial obligations, identifies in-network or out-of-network coverage, obtains precertification or insurance approval, and coordinates required paperwork with the billing office. The specialist monitors schedules to support efficient use of resources and workflow, maintains operational quality, and may help train employees. Additional duties may be assigned. The position requires a high school diploma or GED and two years of relevant work experience. It calls for intermediate capability in patient scheduling, surgery scheduling, patient documentation, and medical terminology and documentation. The role provides routine guidance to entry-level colleagues and uses discretion and research to resolve routine problems. Vanderbilt Health describes a comprehensive benefits package that may include health, disability, retirement, and/or wellness offerings.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Two years of relevant work experience.
Intermediate patient scheduling capability, including coordinating appointments, surgeries, and office visits using hospital or clinic computer systems.
Intermediate surgery scheduling capability using hospital computer systems.
Intermediate patient documentation capability.
Intermediate medical terminology and documentation capability in an office or surgical setting.

Responsibilities

Coordinate surgery schedules with patients, physicians, and operating rooms.
Coordinate scheduling with other services for multi-panel and multi-surgeon combination cases across locations.
May assist with scheduling appointments related to surgery.
Verify patient eligibility and procedure coverage, and discuss potential financial obligations with patients.
Identify in-network or out-of-network coverage and, with assistance from the Lead/Manager, direct patients to appropriate resources when needed.
Obtain precertification or appropriate insurance approval before surgical procedures.
Forward insurance certification paperwork to the billing office and obtain additional paperwork as needed for compliance.
Monitor surgery schedules and support efficient use of resources and workflow.
Maintain quality in operations affecting patients and staff.
May assist in training new and current employees.
Perform additional duties as assigned.