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Ambulatory care coordinator vs surgical coordinator

The differences between ambulatory care coordinators and surgical coordinators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an ambulatory care coordinator and a surgical coordinator. Additionally, an ambulatory care coordinator has an average salary of $40,458, which is higher than the $36,765 average annual salary of a surgical coordinator.

The top three skills for an ambulatory care coordinator include patients, social work and patient care. The most important skills for a surgical coordinator are patients, surgical procedures, and patient care.

Ambulatory care coordinator vs surgical coordinator overview

Ambulatory Care CoordinatorSurgical Coordinator
Yearly salary$40,458$36,765
Hourly rate$19.45$17.68
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs85,83773,088
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

What does an ambulatory care coordinator do?

An ambulatory care coordinator coordinates with physicians to ensure that the patients' individual medical needs are identified and addressed on time. Ambulatory care coordinators work directly under the supervision of an assigned ambulatory manager and supervisor to promote patients' health and welfare through face-to-face, telephone, or email. They maintain knowledge and expertise in electronic software tools so that medical records can be encoded into the computer. Ambulatory care coordinators are also required to take the licensure exams for registered nurses.

What does a surgical coordinator do?

Surgical coordinators are tasked to carry out administrative duties that are significant to surgical operations. These duties include keeping patient records, scheduling surgical equipment, entering post-surgical data, and surgery scheduling. They prepare bills for the patients and send them to a particular insurance company. It is their job to ensure the timely scheduling of surgical cases based on the directions of surgeons and physicians. The skills necessary for this job include strong multitasking and organizational skills, good typing skills, and experience in administrative, secretarial, or clerical work.

Ambulatory care coordinator vs surgical coordinator salary

Ambulatory care coordinators and surgical coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

Ambulatory Care CoordinatorSurgical Coordinator
Average salary$40,458$36,765
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $52,000Between $27,000 And $49,000
Highest paying CityProvidence, RI-
Highest paying stateRhode Island-
Best paying companyCook Children's Medical Center-
Best paying industryHealth Care-

Differences between ambulatory care coordinator and surgical coordinator education

There are a few differences between an ambulatory care coordinator and a surgical coordinator in terms of educational background:

Ambulatory Care CoordinatorSurgical Coordinator
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 56%Bachelor's Degree, 37%
Most common majorNursingBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Ambulatory care coordinator vs surgical coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between ambulatory care coordinators' and surgical coordinators' demographics:

Ambulatory Care CoordinatorSurgical Coordinator
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 18.0% Female, 82.0%Male, 9.2% Female, 90.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 9.0% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 9.0% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between ambulatory care coordinator and surgical coordinator duties and responsibilities

Ambulatory care coordinator example responsibilities.

  • Manage caseload by providing care coordination to individuals with a primary intellectual/developmental disability diagnosis all of whom receive community-base waiver services.
  • Initiate supportive counseling and crisis intervention for groups and individuals in children's rehabilitation hospital setting.
  • Conduct NCQA audits and quality surveys for physicians.
  • Assist with increasing family unity, life skills and legal entities.
  • Assist members with finding placement in the ALF or SNF setting.
  • Generate appropriate letters of authorization and denial according to NCQA and CMS guidelines.
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Surgical coordinator example responsibilities.

  • Manage patient pre-op responsibilities, and generate all necessary paperwork.
  • Input medical procedures and diagnosis using ICD-9 and CPT medical codes to generate claims for insurance and patient billing.
  • Recommend optimization of patient flow for office visits and HIPAA policy enhancements.
  • Coordinate meetings, schedule surgeries/procedures, verify insurance coverage, ensure HIPAA compliance.
  • Provide patients and parents information; explanations of treatment plans, post-operative instructions and oral hygiene instructions.
  • Promote to back office and surgical coordinator position which duties include scheduling patients with hospital for inpatient procedures.
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Ambulatory care coordinator vs surgical coordinator skills

Common ambulatory care coordinator skills
  • Patients, 18%
  • Social Work, 8%
  • Patient Care, 6%
  • Home Health, 6%
  • Rehabilitation, 5%
  • Customer Service, 5%
Common surgical coordinator skills
  • Patients, 35%
  • Surgical Procedures, 12%
  • Patient Care, 6%
  • Medical Terminology, 5%
  • Patient Demographics, 3%
  • Insurance Verification, 3%

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