What does a surgery scheduler do?
A surgery scheduler is responsible for organizing medical information, coordinating with doctors and other health professionals, and reaching out to patients to inform them of scheduled medical procedures and appointments. Surgery schedulers perform clerical and administrative duties, such as processing patients' payments, verifying insurance details, and updating their account information on the database. They also monitor the adequacy of inventory for medical operations and create purchase requests as needed. A surgery scheduler must have excellent communication skills, especially in responding to patients' inquiries and concerns and resolving complaints.
Surgery scheduler responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real surgery scheduler resumes:
- Manage medical records and patient information within HIPPA guidelines
- Manage patient pre-op responsibilities, and generate all necessary paperwork.
- Request financial screening services for patients with limit Medicaid packages, as well as the uninsured.
- Provide patients with information that explain hospital admission policies, time of admission and HIPPA privacy guidelines.
- Execute administrative tasks such as ordering supplies and working with CPT and DX codes relate to accurate patient billing.
- Maintain HIPAA and confidentiality standards.
- Verify benefits according to CPT and authorize procedures.
- Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information following HIPAA guidelines.
- Interview patients conducting initial triage to determine primary medical need and providing assistance or coordinating appropriate services.
- Handle extensive telephone communications, provide scheduling services for patients, inputting confidential information in and automate system.
- Educate patients on procedures, perform verification and authorizations of surgeries with insurance companies and prepare charts for physicians.
- Use Kronos time application to schedule employees to work, up to but not limit to a crew of 12 people.
- Work collaboratively between nurse and HHA to find ways to improve communication and documentation of tasks to be complete.
- Coordinate with peers and upper management on performance and quality of HHA work in order to secure proper pay increases.
- Schedule diagnostic exams including mammograms, x-rays, ct scans for all clinic locations.
Surgery scheduler skills and personality traits
We calculated that 26% of Surgery Schedulers are proficient in Patients, Medical Terminology, and Customer Service. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Writing skills, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of Surgery Schedulers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 26%
Educated patients on procedures, performed verification and authorizations of surgeries with insurance companies and prepared charts for physicians.
- Medical Terminology, 10%
Utilized adequate knowledge of CPT coding and medical terminology.
- Customer Service, 9%
Communicated closely with doctor's offices to provide high level of reliable personalized customer service.
- Patient Care, 5%
Streamlined surgery and office scheduling, allowing physician more family time without compromising patient care.
- Surgical Procedures, 4%
Schedule surgical procedures, verify insurance, and obtain referrals and authorizations from insurance companies and physicians.
- Surgery Scheduling, 4%
Experienced in surgery scheduling in six different hospitals, and five different Ambulatory centers, authorizations and eligibility check.
Common skills that a surgery scheduler uses to do their job include "patients," "medical terminology," and "customer service." You can find details on the most important surgery scheduler responsibilities below.
Interpersonal skills. One of the key soft skills for a surgery scheduler to have is interpersonal skills. You can see how this relates to what surgery schedulers do because "secretaries and administrative assistants interact with clients, customers, or staff." Additionally, a surgery scheduler resume shows how surgery schedulers use interpersonal skills: "trained new schedulers on scheduling software, interpersonal skills, and policy guidelines. "
Writing skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling surgery scheduler duties is writing skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "secretaries and administrative assistants write memos and emails when communicating with managers, employees, and customers." According to a surgery scheduler resume, here's how surgery schedulers can utilize writing skills in their job responsibilities: "greeted patients upon arrival, and assisted them by providing appropriate forms and writing materials. "
Organizational skills. surgery schedulers are also known for organizational skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to surgery scheduler responsibilities, because "secretaries and administrative assistants keep files, folders, and schedules in order so that an office runs efficiently." A surgery scheduler resume example shows how organizational skills is used in the workplace: "implemented excellent organizational and time management skills. "
The three companies that hire the most surgery schedulers are:
- HealthTrust31 surgery schedulers jobs
- UPMC22 surgery schedulers jobs
- SCA Health21 surgery schedulers jobs
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Compare different surgery schedulers
Surgery scheduler vs. Patient coordinator
A patient coordinator functions as the primary point of contact between health care professionals and patients in a medical facility. They mostly perform administrative tasks such as greeting visitors, answering calls, responding to inquiries, managing schedules, arranging appointments, processing payments, gathering information, and keeping records. Moreover, they assist in filling out forms, escorting patients to different rooms or offices, and setting treatment plans. Most importantly, they discuss and share necessary information with patients and families regarding medications, procedures, and proceeding care according to a physician's assessment.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a surgery scheduler are more likely to require skills like "surgery scheduling," "anesthesia," "pre-op," and "surgical cases." On the other hand, a job as a patient coordinator requires skills like "patient flow," "check-in," "patient satisfaction," and "pet." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Patient coordinators tend to make the most money working in the health care industry, where they earn an average salary of $33,131. In contrast, surgery schedulers make the biggest average salary, $34,302, in the health care industry.patient coordinators tend to reach similar levels of education than surgery schedulers. In fact, patient coordinators are 2.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Surgery scheduler vs. Patient registrar
A patient registrar is responsible for receiving patients in a hospital or other health care institutions, verifying their information, and leading them to the appropriate facility for their health care needs. Patient registrars manage the hospital's database, updating patients' information, confirming insurance details, taking calls, responding to patients' inquiries and concerns, scheduling appointments, and performing related administrative and clerical tasks as needed. A patient registrar must have excellent communication and organizational skills to provide the best quality care services to the patients.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, surgery scheduler responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "surgical procedures," "surgery scheduling," "anesthesia," and "pre-op." Meanwhile, a patient registrar has duties that require skills in areas such as "pbx," "health insurance," "surgery," and "home health." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, patient registrars earn a lower salary than surgery schedulers. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, patient registrars earn the most pay in the health care industry with an average salary of $33,106. Whereas surgery schedulers have higher pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $34,302.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Patient registrars tend to reach similar levels of education than surgery schedulers. In fact, they're 1.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Surgery scheduler vs. Patient access representative
A Patient Access Representative is the first point of contact of a patient in a hospital facility. Among the duties include the checking-in and out of a patient, gathering a patient's information for the Doctors and Nurses to use, communicates with the patient's family or caregivers, and processes insurance billing. Most of the time, A Patient Access Representative encounters the critically ill or injured which is why one must possess great communication skills and compassion.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from surgery scheduler resumes include skills like "surgical procedures," "surgery scheduling," "anesthesia," and "pre-op," whereas a patient access representative is more likely to list skills in "physician orders," "health insurance," "cycle management," and "insurance cards. "
Patient access representatives earn the best pay in the health care industry, where they command an average salary of $33,319. Surgery schedulers earn the highest pay from the health care industry, with an average salary of $34,302.Most patient access representatives achieve a similar degree level compared to surgery schedulers. For example, they're 2.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Surgery scheduler vs. Registration coordinator
A registration coordinator is in charge of organizing and overseeing the registration procedures in programs and projects. Their duties primarily depend on their industry or place of employment. Still, it typically includes coordinating staff, managing the budgets and schedules, setting goals and guidelines, liaising with external parties, and developing strategies to optimize operations. Furthermore, a registration coordinator must monitor the progress of all efforts, resolve issues and concerns, and enforce the company's policies and regulations.
Types of surgery scheduler
Updated January 8, 2025
