Medical Scheduler I

Duties and Responsibilities

May be hired to do one of the following primary job functions:

Scheduler:

· Answer/screen/triage incoming phone calls in a timely and courteous manner. Will resolve callers’ inquiries.

· Schedule appointments and cancellations by phone or faxed referral

· Understands scheduling protocols: hospital, office, ambulatory center, doctors/other providers at each location

· Understands all appointment and procedure types and the preps associated with each type

· Understands insurance protocols for scheduling and pre-certification

· Daily reviews and has working knowledge of physician and office schedules

· Obtain patient insurance information and enter into computer

· Receive consultation requests from hospitals; obtain patient information, and notify physicians or provider/practitioner (MCE & RMH only) by entering consult request into online paging system

· Call in prescriptions for designated preps to pharmacies as necessary

Referrals:

· Schedule and process incoming referrals, contacting patient directly & communicating appointment information to referring physician offices.

Operators:

· Receive consultation requests from hospitals; obtain patient information, and notify physicians or provider/practitioner (MCE & RMH only) by entering consult request into online paging system

· Call in prescriptions for designated preps to pharmacies as necessary

Schedulers/Operators/ Recalls/Referrals/Prep Specialist:

· Practice appropriate charting methods, including taking appropriate messages

· Mail patient and procedure information packets.

· Utilizes computer programs daily (Athena and gGastro)

Secondary Job Functions:

· Assists co-workers with additional work outside of scheduler duties

· Maintain confidentiality of patient’s personal and financial information by utilizing HIPAA guidelines and regulations.

· Attend all office meetings or in-service as required.

· Any other tasks as requested by the physician, practice manager, human resource manager, and/or the office supervisor1

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

· Knowledge of medical terminology

· Ability to communicate with diversified levels of patients, staff members as well as external providers and/or agencies.

· Ability to organize work material to ensure accuracy of job performance

· Knowledge of modern office procedures and methods including telephone communications, office systems, and record keeping

· Knowledge of modern business communication, including style and format of letters, memoranda, minutes, and reports

· Skills to use a personal computer and various software packages, including internet.

· Skills to handle a multi-line phone system.

· Ability to establish priorities, work independently, and proceed with objectives with little supervision

· Ability to handle and resolve problems

· Ability to maintain confidentiality regarding health and financial information.

· Neat appearance, professional demeanor and pleasant phone voice.

· Fluent in English.

Credentials and Experience

· Must have high school diploma or equivalent

· Prefer at least 2 years experience working in a medical environment.

Special Requirements

· Willingness to learn new tasks, be cross-trained within the office, and be flexible with work load to help office flow, assisting co-workers as needed.

· Flexibility in working hours with willingness to work occasional overtime.

Physical Demands

· Must be able to sit (frequent), stand (frequent) walk (frequent), stoop (frequent), bend over (frequent) and type on keyboard (frequent).

· Ability to communicate in person (occasional) and by phone (frequent).

Work Environment

· Medical office requiring some contact with adult patient