Prior Auth & Scheduling Manager

Community Hospital, CO; Grand Junction (CO); On-site; USD 45,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life Insurance

Free Parking

Paid time off

Education assistance

403(b) with employer matching

Wellness Program

Job summary

Community Hospital in Grand Junction, CO is seeking a Prior Authorization & Scheduling Manager to lead the combined teams, oversee scheduling and authorization processes, and ensure compliant, efficient patient flow.

The role requires an Associate's degree and 2–3 years of supervisory experience in prior authorization or scheduling; strong leadership, communication, and knowledge of payer policies are essential.

Qualifications

• Associate degree or higher in a healthcare-related field.
• 2–3 years in prior authorization and/or patient scheduling operations; supervisory or lead experience preferred.
• Experience building and managing staff work schedules and time-off approvals across multiple teams.
• Experience delivering staff training programs and onboarding.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day leadership and management of Prior Authorization and Scheduling teams.
• Build, publish, and maintain staff work schedules for both teams.
• Design and deliver onboarding and ongoing training programs.
• Understand and stay up-to-date with prior authorization and scheduling processes and payer policies.
• Oversee scheduling to optimize resources and patient flow; ensure accuracy and compliance.

Skills

Prior Authorization

Scheduling operations

Staff scheduling

Leadership

Communication

Regulatory knowledge

Education

Associate's degree in healthcare

Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

Scheduling software

Job description

Community Hospital
2351 G Road
Grand Junction, CO 81501, USA

• Full-Time
• Requisition #: PRIOR004086

Description

Position Highlights

• Position: Prior Authorization & Scheduling Manager
• Location: Hospital Admissions (2351 G Road)

Responsibilities

• Team Leadership: Provide day-to-day leadership and management of the combined Prior Authorization and Scheduling teams, including hiring, performance management, coaching, and disciplinary action as needed. Ensure both teams meet productivity and quality standards.
• Staffing & Schedule Management: Build, publish, and maintain staff work schedules for both teams, including shift coverage, rotation of priority coverage, and approval of time-off requests, to ensure adequate staffing across all business hours.
• Training & Development: Design, deliver, and continuously improve onboarding and ongoing training programs for Prior Authorization Specialists and Schedulers. Ensure all staff maintain current knowledge of regulations, payer policies, and scheduling procedures.
• Prior Authorization & Scheduling Operations: Understand and stay up-to-date with the prior authorization process for medical services and with scheduling requirements for patient appointments, procedures, and surgeries. Maintain expertise in insurance policies, authorization criteria, and scheduling protocols.
• Workflow Oversight: Oversee the scheduling process to ensure optimal utilization of resources and efficient patient flow. Monitor scheduling and authorization activity to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with organizational policies and regulatory requirements. Address conflicts, discrepancies, and challenges proactively.
• Communication: Facilitate effective communication within and between both teams, and with healthcare providers, patients, and insurance companies. Serve as the point of escalation for issues, questions, or concerns related to prior authorizations or scheduling.
• Documentation and Reporting: Maintain accurate records of prior authorization and scheduling activity and outcomes. Generate and review reports to track performance metrics, staffing levels, and compliance for both functions.
• Compliance: Ensure that both teams adhere to all relevant healthcare regulations and maintain the highest level of accuracy and confidentiality in their work.
• Problem Solving: Assist in resolving complex cases, denials, scheduling conflicts, or escalated issues that require a higher level of expertise or managerial authority.
• Policy Development & Process Improvement: Collaborate with senior leadership to develop and update prior authorization and scheduling policies and procedures in alignment with industry best practices. Identify and implement process improvements to maximize efficiency and minimize processing and wait times.

Requirements

• Associate's degree in a healthcare-related field required; Bachelor's degree preferred, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• (2-3) years of experience in prior authorization and/or patient scheduling operations required; supervisory or lead experience preferred.
• Demonstrated experience building and managing staff work schedules, coverage plans, and time-off approvals across multiple teams.
• Experience developing and delivering staff training programs, including onboarding and ongoing competency development.
• Strong knowledge of healthcare regulations, payer policies, and prior authorization/scheduling compliance requirements.
• Excellent communication, leadership, coaching, and interpersonal skills.
• Attention to detail and the ability to maintain accuracy in a fast-paced, multi-team environment.
• Proficiency with relevant software and tools used in prior authorization, scheduling, and workforce/staff scheduling management.

Compensation

• $33.00 – 37.95 per hour, depending on education and experience.
• Discretionary bonuses, relocation expenses, merit increase, market adjustments, recognition bonuses, and other forms of discretionary compensation may be available.
• Life Insurance
• Free Parking
• Paid time off
• Education assistance
• 403(b) with employer matching
• Wellness Program
• Additional benefits based on employment status

Additional Information

• Relocation: Must relocate to Grand Junction, CO 81505 before starting work.
• Work Location: In-person/onsite
• This position will be posted through August 31, 2026 and may remain open longer until filled.

Community Hospital recognizes and appreciates the rich array of talents and perspectives that equal employment and diversity can offer our institution. As an equal opportunity employer, Community Hospital is committed to making all employment decisions based on valid requirements. No applicant shall be discriminated against in any terms, conditions or privileges of employment or otherwise be discriminated against because of the individual’s race, creed, color, religion, gender, national origin or ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, genetic information or veteran status. Community Hospital does not discriminate against any “qualified applicant with a disability” as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act and will make reasonable accommodations, when they do not impose an undue hardship on the organization.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.