124155 Surgical Services Associate

Location: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce St. Hours: M‑F, 8:00‑4:30 with flexibility based on operational need. Department: Surgery Outpatient Transplant HUP, Entity: Clinical Practices of the University of Pennsylvania (CPUP).

Summary

This position is responsible for assisting with the management of a clinical practice for surgeon(s) in a busy academic department. Duties include coordinating patient‑related activity for outpatient visits and surgical procedures, triaging telephone calls, taking messages, providing information, scheduling surgeries, diagnostic tests, appointments, admissions, obtaining procedural authorizations, and preparing and processing surgical billing and correspondence.

Responsibilities

• Clinical duties:
  • Greet, screen, schedule and direct patients in a prompt, positive, pleasant, and helpful manner.
  • Act as primary point of contact for assigned patients.
  • Retrieve and process incoming medical records/images; ensure scanning and physician review.
  • Ensure diagnostic testing and other evaluations are completed before visits.
  • Assist attending physician and/or APP with patient relations and scheduling during outpatient hours, including travel to clinic locations as needed.
  • Provide coverage for practice team members during absences or staffing shortages.
  • Schedule required procedures and OR time per attending physician direction.
  • Coordinate pre‑operative activities: ancillary tests, pre‑op testing, obtain x‑rays, scans, MRIs, lab results, EKGs for pre‑op packages.
  • Submit and post operative cases to the OR grid accurately and on time.
  • Process medication refill requests and triage to appropriate staff.
  • Coordinate and schedule cases with medical equipment representatives as required in the OR.
  • Communicate underutilization of OR block time to manager for redistribution.
• Administrative duties:
  • Answer and screen all phone calls; respond to patient inquiries or take messages and delegate appropriately.
  • Maintain multiple calendars/schedules (surgery schedule, office hours, meetings).
  • Schedule travel and lodging for physicians; submit expenses for travel, subscriptions, memberships, books for reimbursement.
  • Complete prior authorizations for medications and medical record requests.
  • Create, edit, and distribute letters per attending physician direction.
  • Proficiently use all systems necessary for practice operations.
• Billing duties:
  • Ensure operative reports and encounter forms are turned in for billing within designated timeframes.
  • Maintain comprehensive knowledge of reimbursement coverage from third‑party payers, managed care plans, and referral protocols.

Education and Experience

• High school diploma/GED (required).
• 2+ years medical office experience or 2 years customer service experience; related clinical office experience required.
• Prior customer service or insurance verification experience in a healthcare setting preferred.
• An associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree may be considered in lieu of some experience.

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits program, including one of the finest prepaid tuition assistance programs in the region, to help employees stay healthy and advance their careers.