Surgical Scheduler

WVU Medicine

About The Position

Coordinates master clinical and administrative schedules for inpatient operating room and outpatient clinic volume for physicians, residents, and clinical support staff. Monitors and communicates schedule changes, coordinates pre-admission and ancillary testing, and schedules elective and emergent surgeries. Independently performs administrative support and coordination across clinical, educational, research, and administrative activities in a rapidly changing environment. Leads and coordinates projects on behalf of department faculty, division chiefs, residents, and APPs. The position manages clinic, operating room, and procedure scheduling; coordinates patient preparation, authorizations, equipment, records, and communications; and works closely with patients, providers, clinical teams, insurers, and other departments. It also provides administrative and secretarial support, including calendar management, meeting and travel coordination, correspondence, reports, and cross-coverage for other department schedulers.

Requirements

High school education or equivalent and two years of medical office experience; or an associate degree and one year of medical office experience; or a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or a related field.
Knowledge and understanding of medical terminology, or ability to learn medical terminology quickly.
Interpersonal skills to communicate effectively, negotiate, and resolve conflict.
Ability to cooperate and interact with the health care team in support of shared goals.
Ability to sit for extended periods.
Hearing ability sufficient to function without lip reading; hearing aids are permitted.
Corrected visual acuity sufficient for distant and near objects, including reading small print.

Nice To Haves

Typing speed of 25 words per minute is preferred.

Responsibilities

Manage master clinic and operating room schedules, including clinics, physician and resident schedules, clinical support staff schedules, monthly call schedules, staffing, and room assignments; resolve conflicts and reschedule patients when clinics are overbooked or canceled.
Coordinate specialty clinics with the clinic manager to ensure appropriate scheduling, staffing, and processes.
Schedule elective, urgent, and emergent surgeries and procedures across operating rooms, clinic treatment rooms, Cancer Center, and outreach facilities.
Review procedure durations with surgeons to support effective operating room utilization and develop ways to maximize clinic, procedure, and operating room time.
Schedule pre-admission testing and coordinate pre-operative, post-operative, and other ancillary testing.
Communicate upcoming procedure information to patients, families, and referring providers within the scheduler’s scope of knowledge.
Arrange pre-certification and authorization with third-party payers, resolve issues with the hospital Pre-Certification Department, and manage authorization for Worker’s Compensation patients; refer patients needing financial assistance to appropriate counselors or social services.
Coordinate required equipment with medical supply vendors, document surgeon-specific equipment or implant needs, and help arrange new equipment when needed to prevent case postponement.
Work with patients to arrange procedure appointments; provide procedure details, instructions, prescriptions when applicable, letters, and appointment cards.
Call patients three to four days before procedures and follow up until reached, in accordance with division service expectations.
Monitor medical, cardiac, and pulmonary clearance letters; ensure paperwork, consents, clearances, and outside test results are complete and scanned into EPIC; maintain records and obtain missing information.
Confirm clinic and operating room procedures with clinical staff and coordinate procedure requests with the clinic call center, clinic manager, and clinical teams.
Maintain communication between clinic and operating room staff to manage procedure requests, maintain full schedules, and accommodate time-sensitive needs.
Collect and deliver information and paperwork needed for payer pre-certification and authorization.
Understand procedure schedules, physician preferences, and other factors affecting patient readiness; notify surgeons and clinical staff of denials, assist with alternatives, and coordinate surgeon availability for insurance peer-to-peer reviews.
When procedures are canceled, identify future cases or appointments to fill schedule gaps, working with clinical staff and referring offices under the direction of management.
Coordinate tests required immediately before or after procedures, ensure they are completed on time, and alert appropriate personnel to abnormal results that may affect surgery; coordinate follow-up actions and testing as directed by clinicians.
Update DEPOT daily with case changes; work the EPIC testing queue and collect ancillary testing forms as needed.
Coordinate co-surgeries with other departments and surgeons and adjust schedules to accommodate participants and circumstances.
Prepare schedule updates for physicians and develop approaches to maximize clinic, procedure, and operating room time.
Coordinate administrative activities for faculty, division chiefs, residents, and APPs; participate in meetings and committees; manage physician calendars; and coordinate division events.
Draft, proofread, prepare, organize, and coordinate correspondence, itineraries, publications, data, email materials, newsletters, presentations, and reports.
Coordinate and schedule local, state, regional, national, and international meetings for faculty, division chiefs, and APPs; use discretion in calendar management; arrange travel and complete reimbursement paperwork.
Perform secretarial duties for the division and provide cross-coverage for other department schedulers as needed.