Scheduler-Part-time Days

Overview

At Houston Methodist, the Scheduler position is responsible for providing consumers access to care and treatment through appointment-based availability of healthcare services at a designated facility. This position ensures quality patient surgical and/or ancillary services scheduling by acting as a liaison between patient, facility, and providers to ensure exams, tests, and procedures are scheduled timely, accurately, and appropriately. The Scheduler may also pre-register patients timely in the electronic health record (EHR) so pre-certification, authorization, and verification of insurance benefits can be obtained in a timely manner.

Houston Methodist Standard

PATIENT AGE GROUP(S) AND POPULATION(S) SERVEDRefer to departmental "Scope of Service" and "Provision of Care" plans, as applicable, for description of primary age groups and populations served by this job for the respective HM entity.

HOUSTON METHODIST EXPERIENCE EXPECTATIONS

• Provide personalized care and service by consistently demonstrating our I CARE values:
  • INTEGRITY: We are honest and ethical in all we say and do.
  • COMPASSION: We embrace the whole person including emotional, ethical, physical, and spiritual needs.
  • ACCOUNTABILITY: We hold ourselves accountable for all our actions.
  • RESPECT: We treat every individual as a person of worth, dignity, and value.
  • EXCELLENCE: We strive to be the best at what we do and a model for others to emulate.

• Practices the Caring and Serving Model

• Delivers personalized service using HM Service Standards

• Provides for exceptional patient/customer experiences by following our Standards of Practice of always using Positive Language (AIDET, Managing Up, Key Words)

• Intentionally collaborates with other healthcare professionals involved in patients/customers or employees' experiential journeys to ensure strong communication, ease of access to information, and a seamless experience

• Involves patients (customers) in shift/handoff reports by enabling their participation in their plan of care as applicable to the given job

• Actively supports the organization's vision, fulfills the mission and abides by the I CARE values

Responsibilities

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Promotes a positive work environment and contributes to a dynamic team focused work unit that actively helps one another to achieve optimal departmental and organizational results.

• Serves as a liaison between patient, facility, and physicians to ensure exams, tests, and procedures are scheduled timely, accurately, and appropriately. Communicates special requests and add-ons with appropriate department team as needed.

• Communicates with departments throughout the facility when barriers to the current schedule present.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Schedules patients for services accurately on the appropriate schedule. Synchronizes the appointment calendars in order to effectively schedule patients according to physician/ department availability and urgency of patient service requirements as needed. May also provide pre-registration services.

• Obtains valid and compliant orders and schedules patients based on the physician order and according to department criteria. Enters all diagnostic services, surgical services and special procedures on the schedule as applicable.

• Confirms patients' appointments, instructs on location and directions to facility/ department, relays pre-appointment preparations, and arranges for patients to have interpreter, mobility, or other assistance as needed for the visit.

• Establishes/updates the hospital account record to include detailed patient demographic and insurance information in EHR system, selecting insurance plans and payers, and medical necessity determination.

• Responds promptly to requests by staff, patients, and physicians; reschedules and/or cancels appointments as needed. Assists with resolving EHR work queues that support scheduling.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Communicates to resolve patient access and quality service matters. Keeps open channels of communication with physician, patient, and service areas regarding action taken and outcome.

• Schedules patient appointments utilizing standard operating procedures and enters data into EHR system with a high level of thoroughness, accuracy and timeliness.

• Meets scheduling goals set by the department (e.g., abandonment rate, productivity/ activities per hour, etc.).

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Gathers demographic and insurance information so that the patient's insurance may be veri