Appointment Setter

Appointment Setter

Under the direct supervision of the Dispatch Supervisor, the Appointment Setter coordinates all Participant medical appointments, acting as a liaison between Participants, caregivers, and the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) to manage internal/external specialist visits, transportation and communication, ensuring schedules align with care plans, documenting everything in the Electronic Health Record, and serving as a key contact for families, focusing on efficient, participant-centered care delivery.

Responsibilities:

Scheduling & Coordination

• Schedules all routine and non-routine appointments, diagnostic, imaging, procedures, and surgeries consistent with the participants' preferences and the physician's order. Ensures that the appropriate provider, time, and location are selected using the automated scheduling system. Ensures that appointments are scheduled based on urgency and that all physician orders are scheduled before their due dates.
• Double-check the physician's order to confirm that the specialist's name and the specialty are correct, and that the diagnosis is included in the order.
• Coordinate necessary services for appointments, including transportation and escorts, and ensure all required medical records and insurance authorizations are in place before the visit. Enters appointment information in the transportation routing system.
• Thoroughly reviews the Physician Order to ensure the Participant information (BIO, Medication List, Labs, Imaging Report, etc.) is included in the packet and sent to the provider one day before the scheduled appointment.
• Proactively identify and resolve scheduling conflicts, manage urgent requests, and monitor service delivery to ensure high levels of Participant satisfaction.
• Ensure appointments are set up two weeks in advance and participate in weekly meetings with designated staff to discuss and coordinate transportation and escorts for upcoming scheduled appointments.
• Reschedules all routine and non-routine appointments and procedures, e.g., diagnostic, imaging, surgeries, follow-ups, etc. Appointment Reschedules must be consistent with the physician's order, based on urgency, provider, time/location, while utilizing the automated scheduling system.
• Upload One Call Now to One Source. Call Participants who did not respond to the automated system to inquire if they will attend the center.
• Daily updates and emails the Appointment Matrix to the Interdisciplinary team.

Communication Hub

• Serve as a primary point of contact, making reminder calls to participants/caregivers, answering questions, managing cancellations, and communicating updates or changes to relevant staff and providers.
• Work closely with the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT), including nurses, physicians, and social workers, to align schedules with participant care plans and discuss upcoming appointments and participant needs.
• Provides accurate, detailed information to the clinic staff regarding test preparations and any other directional information needed. Notify the clinic via email of specific orders that are incomplete or incorrect.
• Calls the Specialists' office two days before the participant's appointment to confirm appointment date, time, and location. Consequently, the scheduler will remind the Participant, family, or facility of any changes.
• Maintain constant communication with LULAC Guardians and email appointment information and reminders.
• Call the specialist's office and confirm receipt of the medical packet.
• Communicates daily with specialists' offices to inform them of any late and/or cancelled appointment(s) and enters information in an automated scheduling system to create participant appointment matrix.

Documentation

• Maintain accurate participant schedules and records in the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system, ensure confidentiality of all information (HIPAA compliant), manage referrals, and perform other clerical duties like filing and data entry. Maintains current appointment matrix, list of unscheduled orders, scheduled appointments, and completed appointments.
• The Scheduler enters all scheduled appointment information in the electronic medical record, to include information about reschedules/cancellations, person spoken with when scheduling/confirming appointments, date/time of appointment, and when the Participant/family was notified of the appointment, etc.

Reporting

• Participates in Morning Meetings, reports appointment-related information daily. Note items that may require the appointment to be rescheduled or canceled. Update the appointment matrix based on information gathered from the meeting, such as participants who are on vacation, in the hospital, or have expired, etc.
• Generate Appointment Matrices and any other reports on scheduling trends or patient care needs.

Compliance

• Ensure all scheduling follows PACE guidelines, authorizations, and confidentiality rules (HIPAA).
• Provides coverage, as necessary, for other members of the department due to vacancies or absences to avoid backlogs and delays.
• Completes projects and performs other duties as assigned by the immediate supervisor or department manager.

Qualifications / Requirements:

• Must have a high school diploma or equivalent.
• Two (2) years of scheduling, administrative, or clerical experience.
• Experience with EMR or medical scheduling software is strongly preferred.
• Experience working with a frail or elderly population is preferred.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish is preferred.

Required Skills

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Understanding of healthcare setting and the elderly.
• Strong organizational, communication (verbal and written), and customer service skills are essential.
• The role requires a detail-oriented, dependable, and flexible individual who can work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities with a compassionate and professional demeanor.
• Proficient in the Microsoft Office suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other desktop applications.
• Attention to detail and the ability to function independently in a fast-paced environment are required.
• Ability to ensure all scheduling follows PACE guidelines, authorizations, and confidentiality rules (HIPAA).
• Excellent customer service and communication.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a healthcare team
• Responsible, self-directed, but able to accept supervision and constructive criticism appropriately.
• Must have skill in dealing with callers, in person and over the phone.
• Must communicate clearly, exercise courtesy, good judgment, and professional conduct.
• Must have reliable/dependable transportation to and from work.