Pediatric Surgery Scheduler

Job Purpose: Under general supervision, the Surgery Coordinator will provide outstanding service to patients and physicians in all verbal and direct communications.

JOB RESPONBILITIES:

Schedule Surgical Procedures

• Coordinate and schedule surgical procedures upon receipt of the provider's decision to proceed with surgery, when all required information has been received - seeking clarification when needed.
• Prioritize urgent and time-sensitive cases as clinically appropriate while maintaining efficient scheduling workflows.
• Communicate physician-requested schedule changes promptly and accurately to the appropriate manager and affected team members.
• Ensure all schedule modifications are properly documented and communicated to relevant stakeholders.

Coordinate the Surgical Journey 

• Create and distribute surgery packets and provide patients and families with clear instructions regarding pre-operative and post-operative appointments, testing requirements, and procedural expectations.
• Ensure families understand all necessary steps and timelines associated with their surgical care.

Patient and Family Communication 

• Provide timely, professional, and compassionate communication to patients and families throughout the scheduling process.
• Establish and manage expectations regarding surgery scheduling timelines and next steps.
• Strive to contact families and begin surgery scheduling within 7 to 10 business days of receiving a complete surgery requisition, recognizing that urgent cases may require prioritization.
• Proactively communicate delays, concerns, or barriers that may impact scheduling timelines.

Communication Management 

• Effectively manage incoming communications, including phone calls, voicemails, emails, electronic messages, and task queues.
• Review and respond to voicemails within an appropriate timeframe and address emails promptly to ensure continuity of care and customer service.
• Prioritize communications based on urgency and patient needs while maintaining accurate follow-up and documentation.

Multidisciplinary Collaboration 

• Work collaboratively with physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, medical assistants, patient coordinators, surgery schedulers, and administrative staff to ensure seamless coordination of patient care.
• Partner effectively with pre-certification and billing teams, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta personnel, hospital and ambulatory surgery center staff, and schedulers from other specialties when coordinated care or combined procedures are required.
• Ensure accurate and timely communication of information necessary to support surgical scheduling and patient care.

Surgical Clearance and Preparation 

• Provide patients and families with all relevant information regarding surgical clearance requirements, medication instructions, and pre/post operative preparations.
• Assist in obtaining and communicating required information needed to facilitate surgical readiness.
• Provide instruction and guidance to ensure radiology studies, imaging, records, and other required documentation are available to the physician prior to surgery when applicable.

Documentation 

• Accurately document all patient and family communications, scheduling activities, medical inquiries, and coordination efforts in NextGen according to organizational standards.
• Maintain complete and timely documentation that supports continuity of care.

Customer Service and Professionalism 

• Demonstrate exceptional customer service, empathy, and professionalism in all interactions with patients, families, providers, and colleagues.
• Utilize effective communication skills to resolve concerns, provide education, and support a positive patient experience.
• Maintain positive and respectful dialogue at all times.
• Identify barriers to care, scheduling challenges, and operational issues and communicate concerns through appropriate channels to facilitate timely resolution.
• Take ownership of assigned responsibilities and follow through on commitments to patients, families, and team members.

Meetings and Professional Participation 

• Attend monthly scheduler meetings, quarterly staff meetings, department meetings, and other required trainings.
• Participate in process improvement initiatives and contribute to operational efficiency and team success. 
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned to support patient care, departmental operations, and organizational goals.

Education/Training:

• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• Minimum of 2 years' experience Surgery Scheduling preferred.

Skills & Abilities:

• Must have excellent customer service skills both internally and externally.
• Excellent organizational, time management and follow through skills.
• Must be able to interact with team members in a fast paced environment while maintaining a high level of professionalism
• Must have the ability to greet patients and visitors, whether in person or on the telephone, in a pleasant, helpful and professional manner at all times.
• Must have excellent grammar and communication skills in order to relay appropriate and accurate information to the patients.
• Must be able to follow both oral and written forms of communication.

Computer literacy:

• Proficiency and working knowledge of Medical software applications, e.g. EMR, as well as Microsoft Office Applications.

Driving Requirements: 

• A valid State of Georgia Driver's License and reliable transportation is required.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Physical Demands: This position requires a substantial amount of standing, sitting and working at a computer station throughout the day.

Work Location & Remote Work Eligibility: 

• This position is primarily office-based to support training, collaboration, patient care coordination, and operational needs.
• Following successful completion of onboarding and demonstrated proficiency in the role, employees may be considered for a remote or hybrid work arrangement.
• Eligibility for remote work is not guaranteed and will be determined based on individual performance, productivity, communication effectiveness, attendance, departmental needs, and the ability to independently manage assigned responsibilities.
• Remote work arrangements are granted at management discretion and may be modified or revoked based on business needs, operational requirements, or performance concerns.
• Employees approved for remote work are expected to maintain the same level of responsiveness, availability, communication, productivity, and customer service standards as those working on-site.