Surgical Services Associate - Surgery Thoracic Surgery HUP

Summary

This position is responsible in assisting with the management of a clinical practice for a surgeon(s) in a busy academic department. Duties are to coordinate patient related activity for both outpatient visits and surgical procedures. This includes: triaging telephone calls, taking messages, and providing information to internal and external customers. Schedules surgeries, outpatient diagnostic test, outpatient appointments and admissions as requested. Obtain procedural authorizations. Prepare and process surgical billing. Prepare and process correspondence.

Responsibilities

• Clinical Duties
  • Greets, screens, schedules and directs patients in a prompt, positive, pleasant, and helpful manner at all times even in the most adverse circumstances; acts as primary point of contact for assigned patients.
    • Retrieves and processes incoming medical records/images, ensures scanning and physician review is completed.
      • Ensures diagnostic testing and other evaluations are completed before visit.
    • Affords assistance to attending physician and/or APP with patient relations and scheduling during outpatient office hours including traveling to clinic location when necessary.
      • Provides coverage for practice team members during absences and/or staffing shortages.
    • Schedules required procedures and OR for patients at attending physician’s direction.
      • Captures all procedures that need to occur prior to scheduling surgery, including but not limited to the scheduling of ancillary tests, pre-operative testing, obtaining x-rays, scans, MRIs, lab results, EKGs for completion of pre-op packages.
    • Coordinates all procedures that need to occur prior to scheduling surgery, including but not limited to the scheduling of ancillary tests, pre-operative testing, obtaining x-rays, scans, MRIs, lab results, EKGs for completion of pre-op packages.
      • Responsible for the timely submission and posting of operative cases to the OR grid, accuracy of information and correct forms completed and signed.
    • Process medication refill request, triaging to appropriate staff.
      • Coordinates and schedules cases with medical equipment representatives as required in the OR.
    • Communicates underutilization of OR block time in a timely manner to manager for appropriate redistribution.
  • Admin Duties
    • Answer and screen all phone calls; responds to patient inquires and/or problems in timely fashion or takes appropriate messages/delegate to appropriate staff.
  • Maintain multiple calendars/schedules, surgery schedule, office hours and meetings.
    • Schedule travel and lodging for physician as well as completing submission of expenses for travel, subscriptions, memberships and books for re-imbursements in a timely fashion.
  • Complete prior authorizations for medications.
    • Create/Edit and distribute letters per attending physician direction.
  • Proficient in the use of all systems necessary for practice operations.
• Billing Duties
  • Ensure that all operative reports and encounter forms are turned in for billing within the designated timeframes.
• Maintains comprehensive knowledge of reimbursement coverage from third party payers, managed care plans and protocols for referrals.

Education or Equivalent Experience

• H.S. Diploma/GED (Required)
• 2+ years Medical office experience, or 2 years of customer service experience.
• Related clinical office experience required.
• Prior customer service or insurance verification experience in a healthcare setting preferred.
• A degree (Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's) may be considered in lieu of experience.