Surgical Coordinator/Medical Assistant

The US Oncology Network•Germantown, MD

11d•Onsite

About The Position

Under minimal supervision, the Surgical Coordinator/Medical Assistant schedules surgeries and procedures based on physician orders, maintaining close communication with physicians. The role reserves operating room dates and times and coordinates anesthesia, surgical assistants, outside representatives, equipment, pre-operative testing, and patient instructions. It may include obtaining testing results and taking actions as directed by the physician, securing insurance authorization and pre-certification, and helping orient, train, or assign work to lower-level employees. The position supports and adheres to the US Oncology Compliance Program, including its Code of Ethics and Business Standards. The coordinator manages the procedural scheduling process for one or more providers, including pre-operative appointments, clearances, diagnostic testing, facility documentation, orders, consents, authorization, and communication with patients and care teams. The role also supports continuity of care, advocates for patients, maintains procedure-related documentation in the medical record, schedules follow-up care, and helps administer financial and patient-care commitments. Work is performed in a medical clinic or physician suite. The position may involve exposure to communicable diseases, toxic substances, ionizing radiation, medical preparations, and other conditions common to healthcare environments. It requires full range of body motion, manual and finger dexterity, eye-hand coordination, corrected vision and hearing within normal range, and occasionally lifting or carrying items up to 40 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made for individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
At least three years of experience in a clinical or procedural scheduling environment, including insurance authorization, verification, and/or scheduling.
Ability to explain patient responsibility in accordance with the patient’s benefits plan.
Knowledge of medical terminology.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills and ability to multitask.
Proficiency with computer systems and Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Word, and Excel.

Nice To Haves

Five years of experience working with multiple surgeons and setting up and preparing for surgical procedures.
For breast surgery: one year of experience in and knowledge of breast-related surgical coding or procedures.
For gynecological surgery: one year of experience in and knowledge of gynecological-related surgical coding or procedures.
For other specialties: one year of broad-based or general experience in surgical coding or procedures.

Responsibilities

Plan, implement, coordinate, evaluate, and promote continuity of care consistent with established standards and practices.
Review patient medications and health history, which may affect clearance from other care providers.
Coordinate case scheduling and complete required pre-procedure tasks based on the type of case.
Coordinate patients’ pre-operative appointments.
Notify representatives needed for the case, such as vendors and assistants.
Confirm whether special products need to be ordered for a case.
Coordinate, schedule, and authorize pre-operative clearance testing and diagnostic imaging, including CT, MRI, ultrasound, and X-ray.
Complete and send required scheduling documentation to the facility, including authorization or pending authorization information.
Complete and send the History and Physical, procedure order, and required documentation to the provider for review and signature.
Complete and send consent forms with patient and provider signatures.
Manage applicable procedure alerts in the EMR and/or Practice Management System.
Scan procedure-related documents into the EMR as applicable, including signed orders, consents, clearances, and authorizations.
Review the procedure name and applicable protocols, notifications, and tasks with the patient.
Discuss all preparations with the patient, including required preps.
Confirm the scheduled date with the patient, facility, and anesthesia team.
Request and ensure appropriate authorizations are obtained in a timely and effective manner for scheduled procedures.
Determine required authorization and pre-certification for insured patients’ procedures and related services using appropriate CPT and ICD-10 codes.
Review and audit payor medical policies and adhere to them to support accurate authorization and prevent reimbursement delays.
Serve as a patient advocate and liaison among the patient, payor, office, and facility; answer questions and escalate issues.
Maintain working knowledge of authorization requirements to prevent delays and denials.
Ensure reports, such as pathology and operative reports, are captured in the patient chart.
Schedule needed follow-up appointments that have not already been scheduled, directly or through the clinic scheduler.
Release facility blocks in accordance with policy to avoid utilization-related penalties.
Administer and process financial and patient-care commitments, with additional staff as appropriate.
Notify appropriate personnel of prepayment or collection requirements and provide contact information for financial questions or concerns.
Facilitate and schedule consultations, pre-testing, diagnostic tests or procedures, referrals, and future appointments.
Facilitate communication between patients or families and the interdisciplinary team as necessary, and coordinate services related to patient care.
For multiple-provider scheduling, sequence, prioritize, follow up on, and multitask across inputs from multiple providers.
Reserve operating room dates and times and schedule anesthesia, surgical assistants, outside representatives, and equipment as needed.
Provide patients with pre-operative testing information and, when required, obtain test results and take actions as directed by the physician.
Obtain insurance authorization and pre-certification using the appropriate procedure and diagnosis codes.
Communicate surgical information and the required preparation, appointment date, time, and location to patients.
May help orient, train, and assign work to lower-level employees.