Surgical Services Associate

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.

 • Retrieve and process incoming medical records/images, ensure scanning and physician review is completed. Ensure diagnostic testing and other evaluations are completed before visit. 

• Assists 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.

• 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. 

• Complete medical record request. 

• 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 required. 
• 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.