The Surgery Scheduler is the central coordinator for surgical scheduling, ensuring efficient utilization of operating room time, staff and equipment.  This role involves managing surgical schedules, reviewing booking requests, and maintaining accurate patient and procedural records in compliance with facility policies.  Responsibilities include verifying and preparing health records, ensuring the availability of necessary equipment, and generating reports related to OR activities.  

As a key communicator, the Surgery Scheduler provides exceptional customer service to patients and families when facilitating the scheduling process for operative cases.  They liaise with surgeons, nurses, physician offices, and other healthcare departments to relay updates on scheduling policies and operational adjustments.  Additionally, the Surgery Scheduler manages surgery calendars and scheduling patient surgeries and outpatient surgeries across various medical specialties.  

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.

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

• 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.

• High school diploma or GED.
• Minimum of one year of surgery scheduler or clerical surgery scheduling experience in an outpatient or inpatient clinical center or hospital setting.
• Experience working with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel)
• Utilize discretion and appropriate judgment regarding sensitive and/or confidential matters.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to successfully complete multiple tasks within established and changing deadlines.

• Minimum of three years of surgery scheduler or clerical surgery scheduling experience in an outpatient or inpatient clinical center or hospital setting.
• Computer proficiency in scheduling software and electronic medical records.
• Knowledge of CPT codes and ICD 10 codes
• Knowledge of HIPAA/Confidentiality.
• Experience scheduling in both MiChart and OpTime
• Knowledge of medical terminology
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work professionally, effectively, and positively as a team member with staff.
• Ability to work under pressure, be flexible, and manage multiple priorities. 
• Commitment to Service Excellence for patients, families, faculty, and staff.
• Attention to detail, follow-through.
• Excellent written and verbal skills.
• Time management and ability to meet deadlines

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.

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.

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.

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 anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.