Surgical Services Associate

Penn Medicine is dedicated to our tripartite mission of providing the highest level of care to patients, conducting innovative research, and educating future leaders in the field of medicine. Working for this leading academic medical center means collaboration with top clinical, technical and business professionals across all disciplines.

Today at Penn Medicine, someone will make a breakthrough. Someone will heal a heart, deliver hopeful news, and give comfort and reassurance. Our employees shape our future each day. Are you living your life's work?

Location: Penn Presbyterian Medical Center- 51 N 39th Street

Department: Ophth Clinical Support Scheie Eye Institute

Schedule: Fulltime, Monday - Friday, Day, Onsite

Summary:

This position is responsible in assisting with the management of a clinical practice for a surgeon(s) in a busy academic department. Duties are to coordinate patient related activity for both outpatient visits and surgical procedures. This includes: triaging telephone calls, taking messages, and providing information to internal and external customers. Schedules surgeries, outpatient diagnostic test, outpatient appointments and admissions as requested. Obtain procedural authorizations. Prepare and process surgical billing. Prepare and process correspondence.

Responsibilities:

Clinical Duties

• Greets, screens, schedules and directs patients in a prompt, positive, pleasant, and helpful manner at all times even in the most adverse circumstances; acts as primary point of contact for assigned patients.
• Retrieve and process incoming medical records/images, ensure scanning and physician review is completed. Ensure diagnostic testing and other evaluations are completed before visit.
• Assists attending physician and/or APP with patient relations and scheduling during outpatient office hours including traveling to clinic location when necessary.
• Provides coverage for practice team members during absences and/or staffing shortages.
• Schedules required procedures and OR for patients at attending physician's direction.
• Coordinates all procedures that need to occur prior to scheduling surgery, including but not limited to the scheduling of ancillary tests, pre-operative testing, obtaining x-rays, scans, MRIs, lab results, EKGs for completion of pre-op packages.
• Responsible for the timely submission and posting of operative cases to the OR grid, accuracy of information and correct forms completed and signed.
• Process medication refill request, triaging to appropriate staff.
• Coordinates and schedules cases with medical equipment representatives as required in the OR.
• Communicates underutilization of OR block time in a timely manner to manager for appropriate redistribution.

Admin Duties

• Answer and screen all phone calls; responds to patient inquires and/or problems in timely fashion or takes appropriate messages/delegate to appropriate staff.
• Maintain multiple calendars/schedules, surgery schedule, office hours and meetings.
• Schedule travel and lodging for physician as well as completing submission of expenses for travel, subscriptions, memberships and books for re-imbursements in a timely fashion.
• Complete prior authorizations for medications.
• Complete medical record requests.
• Create/Edit and distribute letters per attending physician direction.
• Proficient in the use of all systems necessary for practice operations.

Billing Duties

• Ensure that all operative reports and encounter forms are turned in for billing within the designated timeframes.
• Maintains comprehensive knowledge of reimbursement coverage from third party payers, managed care plans and protocols for referrals.

Other

• Performs duties in accordance with Penn Medicine and entity values, policies, and procedures.
• Other duties as assigned to support the unit, department, entity, and health system organization.

Education/Experience:

• High School Diploma/GED (Required)
• AND 2+ years of Medical office experience, or 2 years of customer service experience. Related clinical office experience required. Prior customer service or insurance verification experience in a healthcare setting preferred. A degree (Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's) may be considered in lieu of experience.

Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong technical skills.
• Optimizes work processes.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Patient customer focus.
• Critical thinking and problem solving.
• Proven ability to work effectively, independently, and in a team setting.
• Demonstrated ability to practice and ensure confidentiality of patient information.

We believe that the best care for our patients starts with the best care for our employees. Our employee benefits programs help our employees get healthy and stay healthy. We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits program that includes one of the finest prepaid tuition assistance programs in the region. Penn Medicine employees are actively engaged and committed to our mission. Together we will continue to make medical advances that help people live longer, healthier lives.

Live Your Life's Work

We are an Equal Opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, familial status, genetic information, domestic or sexual violence victim status, citizenship status, military status, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable law.