Surgery Scheduler

Michigan Medicine; Ann Arbor (MI); Hybrid; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent medical, dental and vision

2:1 retirement matching

Hybrid/work-from-home flexibility

Job summary

Michigan Medicine is seeking a Surgery Scheduler to coordinate operative dates, pre/post-op care, and insurance authorizations. You will manage the surgical calendar across multiple sites, update MiChart, and handle inquiries from patients and clinics with a service-oriented mindset.

The role emphasizes accurate scheduling, documentation, and collaboration with surgeons, nursing staff, and call center teams to ensure smooth patient journeys and optimized OR utilization.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Experience in scheduling and use of EMR systems.
• Understanding of medical billing and CPT terminology.
• Familiarity with MiChart and CPT coding values is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Schedule surgeries aligning with patient needs and surgeon availability.
• Organize dates, pre/post-op appointments, and required tests.
• Obtain authorizations and ensure consents are in place.
• Manage and adjust the surgical schedule in MiChart.
• Be primary contact for surgery scheduling calls and triage inquiries.
• Generate reports on scheduling trends and efficiency.

Skills

Scheduling

EMR knowledge

MiChart

CPT coding

Communication

Teamwork

Education

High school diploma or GED

Healthcare admin cert / assoc degree

Tools

MiChart

EMR systems

Scheduling software

Job description

Mission Statement

Michigan Medicine improves the health of patients, populations and communities through excellence in education, patient care, community service, research and technology development, and through leadership activities in Michigan, nationally and internationally. Our mission is guided by our Strategic Principles and has three critical components; patient care, education and research that together enhance our contribution to society.

Responsibilities*

• Patient Scheduling:
• Schedule surgeries in accordance with patient needs, surgeon availability, and facility schedules to ensure the smooth flow and progression of scheduled cases within the operating room at all University of Michigan sites (inclusive of joint venture sites).
• Organize and secure surgery dates for patients through direct contact in clinic or via phone.
• Exercise initiative, independent judgment, and a service-oriented attitude while calling patients to schedule surgeries and provide instruction to prepare patients for their surgery based on established protocols.
• Coordinate and schedule pre- and post-operative appointments, follow up return visits, and tests as directed by faculty and/or nursing staff.
• Obtain appropriate authorizations, medical clearances, outside medical records, and other required test results and ensure consents are in place.
• Schedule Management:
• Utilize the electronic medical record to create and maintain the surgical schedule, considering surgeon availability, procedure complexity, operating room capacity, and appropriate turnaround times.
• Review and compare various calendars to verify which dates are available for surgery.
• Prioritize and maintain OR case depots and operative waitlists.
• Cancel/reschedule pre- and post-operative appointments according to physician schedule changes and notify appropriate clinic personnel.
• Complete and/or verify and enter all insurance authorization, and correspondence relating to referrals in patients charts and/or electronic medical records (EMR).
• Monitor and adjust surgery schedules based on changes in patient status or unexpected events.
• Assign operating rooms and equipment to each surgical case and initiate requests for urgent/emergent overbooks as well as incremental rooms as needed.
• Ensure information such as operative details, required equipment, and procedure codes are entered into MiChart correctly.
• Answer questions regarding pre-surgery documentation requirements involved with surgical cases as needed.
• Communication and In-Basket Coordination:
• Serve as the primary contact for direct surgery scheduling calls from our Call Center.
• Continually monitor the surgery scheduler in-basket in MiChart for new messages.
• Triage patient calls to nursing staff or physicians as appropriate. Answer patient queries of a general or program related nature
• Administrative Tasks:
• Maintain surgery logs or other required practice or case tracking logs.
• Assist in the monitoring of OR utilization by division, faculty, and location, in efforts to maximize efficiency.
• May lead daily huddles with topics and presentations to provide positive and effective collaboration.
• Subject matter authority to the department and colleagues for the scheduling process.
• Provide onboarding and training for new Surgery Scheduler hires.
• Provide cross-coverage for other OR teams across Specialties.
• Generate reports on surgical volume, utilization rates, and scheduling trends.
• Assist with quality improvement initiatives related to surgical scheduling.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
  

Required Qualifications*

• High school diploma or GED.
• Prior relevant training or work experience in scheduling.
• Understanding of insurance policies and medical billing procedures.
• Proficient in electronic medical records (EMR) systems and other healthcare and scheduling software.
• Knowledge of medical terminology and surgical procedures.

Desired Qualifications*

• Relevant post -secondary education, such as a certificate or associate degree in healthcare administration, medical office management, or a related field.
• Experience working within a large, complex healthcare setting
• Experience in complex scheduling
• Experience as surgery scheduler
• Experience with MiChart, scheduling grids and CPT coding
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Able to work staggered schedule
• Ability to communicate and establish positive relationship with physicians
• Experience as surgery scheduler
• Experience with MiChart, scheduling grids and CPT coding
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Able to work staggered schedule
• Ability to communicate and establish positive relationship with physicians

Why Join Michigan Medicine?

Michigan Medicine is one of the largest health care complexes in the world and has been the site of many groundbreaking medical and technological advancements since the opening of the U-M Medical School in 1850. Michigan Medicine is comprised of over 30,000 employees and our vision is to attract, inspire, and develop outstanding people in medicine, sciences, and healthcare to become one of the world?s most distinguished academic health systems. In some way, great or small, every person here helps to advance this world-class institution. Work at Michigan Medicine and become a victor for the greater good.

What Benefits can you Look Forward to?

• Excellent medical, dental and vision coverage effective on your very first day
• 2:1 Match on retirement savings

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Union Affiliation

This position is covered under the collective bargaining agreement between the U-M and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which contains and settles all matters with respect to wages, benefits, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment.

Background Screening

Michigan Medicine conducts background screening and pre-employment drug testing on job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent job offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background screenings. Background screenings are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Report Act. Pre-employment drug testing applies to all selected candidates, including new or additional faculty and staff appointments, as well as transfers from other U-M campuses.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.