Orthopedic Practice Scheduling Specialist

Position Summary:

The Scheduling Specialist serves as the primary point of contact for patients seeking orthopedic care. This role is responsible for accurately scheduling appointments, managing referrals, gathering required demographic and insurance information, and ensuring timely access to providers while delivering a high level of patient service. Accuracy, efficiency, and professionalism are essential to support clinic flow and revenue cycle success.

Summary Primary Responsibilities- Communications:

Patient Scheduling & Access

Answer high-volume inbound calls in a professional, courteous manner

Schedule new and established patient appointments according to provider templates, urgency, and practice protocols

Appropriately triage appointment requests (routine, urgent, post-op, imaging follow-up, etc.)

Coordinate appointments across multiple providers, locations, and services (clinic, imaging, therapy, procedures)

Manage rescheduling, cancellations, and waitlists to optimize provider availability

Referrals & Documentation

Receive, review, and process referrals from external providers

Ensure required referral documentation is complete prior to scheduling

Communicate with referring offices as needed to obtain missing information

Document all patient interactions accurately in the electronic medical record (EMR)

Insurance & Demographics

Collect and verify patient demographics and insurance information at the time of scheduling

Confirm reason for visit, affected body part, laterality, and prior imaging or treatment

Demonstrates working knowledge of common insurance plans, referral requirements, and benefit limitations to ensure appropriate scheduling and minimize downstream billing issues

Customer Service & Communication

Provide clear, compassionate communication to patients who may be in pain or distressed

Set appropriate expectations regarding appointment availability, arrival time, and visit preparation

Collaborate closely with clinical staff, billing, referrals, and leadership to ensure smooth patient flow

Escalate concerns or complex scheduling issues to leadership when needed

Performance & Compliance

Follow HIPAA and practice policies at all times

Participate in training, process improvement initiatives, and team meetings

Train and mentor incoming staff

Special projects and other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

Two or more years' experience in patient scheduling in a private practice required

Orthopedic office patient care and scheduling experience preferred

Five years customer service/ communication experience in health care setting preferred

Health care insurance and medical terminology preferred

Proven ability to adhere to deadlines

Critical thinking and decision-making skills required

Strong communication skills

Solid software skills related to learning third party programs

Microsoft Office and Windows fluency

Detail oriented and highly dependable

Ability to type 30 words per minute required

Physical Demands by Position:

This position regularly requires the employee stand, walk, use hands, talk, and hear. Bending and lifting may be required to complete certain tasks in regarding to filing or equipment troubleshooting. Specific vision requirements consist of close vision, distant vision, color vision, and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment:

The selected candidate will be required to wear employer-purchased scrubs while on duty.

Noise level is moderate

OSHA Blood Borne Pathogen Employee Exposure Categories - (One Category must be checked)

Category 1:

Employees whose job functions involve routine or potential exposure to blood, body fluids or tissues (Direct patient care jobs)

Category 2:

Employees whose job functions involve no routine exposure to blood, body fluids or tissues, but employment may require performing unplanned Category 1 tasks. (Indirect patient care jobs, i.e. Intake Specialist or Greeter)

Category 3: X

Employees whose job functions involve no exposure to blood, body fluids or tissues, and Category 1 and 2 tasks are not a condition of employment (back office, administrative)

Sensitive Information Qualifications:

Access to NextGen EHR

Access to patient records, surgical notes, and various health insurance websites

Acknowledges understanding of HIPAA Regulations and Guidelines

Access to patient credit and personal information, credit cards and cash