Position Profile:          Surgery Coordinator

Reports to:                         Operations Manager/Administrator/Physician

POSITION  SUMMARY:

This position is responsible for all aspects of scheduling surgery and other outpatient procedures for a patient including admissions.  Performs some insurance verification and pre-certifications. It requires excellent communication skills with parents, managed care organizations, physicians, hospital surgery scheduling departments and outpatient surgery scheduling departments.

ESSENTIAL POSITION FUNCTIONS:

• At the decision for surgery this employee will either meet with or call the parent to schedule a date for surgery and explain surgery protocols to them.
• Will schedule in- patient admissions.
• Will schedule outpatient procedures such as MRI, CT, or other testing required.
• Prepares surgery information packets and mails surgery information to parent.
• Answers all patient/parent questions regarding surgery or procedures to ensure compliance and patient satisfaction.
• Notifies parent of insurance benefits, any amount due to PENTA prior to surgery date and collect money.
• To maximize potential for reimbursement performs the following:
• Verifies all surgeries and procedures with insurance plan.
• Precertification for surgery and procedures if require
• Maintains records of all verified surgeries and procedures to provide to reimbursement department.
• Stays current with carrier requirements to ensure all are met in order to maximize our potential for reimbursement.
• Ensures that appropriate procedure and diagnosis coding is utilized in the precertification and verification process and questions physicians to ensure accuracy and completeness of information.
• Coordinates cases with other PENTA physicians and/or other surgeons outside of this practice.

SUPERVISORY DUTIES:

None

POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

• High School education or G.E.D., or equivalent. Completion of a course as a medical assistant would be an advantage.
• Previous experience in surgery scheduling is required.
• Clinical and coding experience preferred.
• Previous patient contact work in a medical practice is required.
• Possesses a preference for dealing with people who are ill and need help.
• Possesses the tact to deal effectively with patients, parents, physicians and other employees in the practice as well as insurance carriers and hospital personnel.
• Possesses the ability to coordinate multiple tasks in detail.
• Able to take the initiative and drive to take a project from its inception to a successful conclusion.
• Has strong written and oral communication skills.

WORKING ENVIORNMENT:

Physical Demands:

Lifting Requirements:

• Frequency of lifting 20-40 lbs., 0-15% of time.
• Average percent of time during regular shift devoted to: standing, walking, bending and reaching.

Additional Physical Demands:

• Ability to grasp with both hands; pinch with thumb or forefinger; turn with hand/arm; reach above shoulder height
• Ability to operate multi-line telephone system; computer keyboard.

Visual, Hearing, Dexterity and Mental Demands:

• Vision:  Adequate to perform the essential functions of the job such as read a computer terminal for long periods of time. Correctable to 20/20.
• Hearing: Adequate to perform the essential functions of the job such as answering the phone and communicating with patients.
• Speaking: Adequate to perform the essential functions of the job such as communicating via telephone or in person for the purposes of surgery scheduling and providing patient information.
• Adequate to perform the essential functions of the job such as
  • Multi-tasks of accumulating data
  • Sorting papers
  • Stapling/operating office equipment
  • Documenting information
  • Dealing with angry patients/parents
  • Uncooperative insurance carriers
  • No problems with dealing with stressful situations in regard to physician demands vs. availability of surgery block time