Physician Liaison and Scheduler

Job Summary

The Physician Liaison and Scheduler operates within the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, reporting to the Divisional Administrator. This role serves as a critical bridge between the Cardiac Service Line, surgical teams, referring physicians, and patients. The primary focus is to optimize the surgical pipeline by managing complex scheduling, facilitating care coordination, and maintaining high-level relationships with referring providers to ensure seamless patient transitions from initial referral through post-operative care.

Essential Functions

• Surgical Coordination & Scheduling: Manage complex calendars for Attending Surgeons, balancing clinic hours, surgical procedures, and administrative meetings. Coordinate inpatient transfers, surgical "add-ons," and multidisciplinary surgical clearances.
• Clinical Liaison: Serve as the primary point of contact between OR Leadership, Anesthesia, Perfusion, Residents, APPs, and Nursing staff to ensure all pre-surgical requirements are met.
• Referral Management: Build and maintain strong professional relationships with referring physicians and their office staff. Facilitate post-operative communication by ensuring operating surgeons connect with referring providers following procedures.
• Insurance & Authorization: Determine patient insurance eligibility and secure pre-authorizations for admissions, surgeries, and diagnostic tests. Navigate appeals and "peer-to-peer" reviews when necessary.
• Blood Component Logistics: Utilize knowledge of cardiac surgical procedures to coordinate blood component requirements with the Blood Bank and Donor Center, including donor-designated donations.
• Patient Throughput & Navigation: Oversee the patient journey from the first referral to the post-operative visit. Ensure all medical records, diagnostic imaging (via Life Image or similar), and test results are consolidated for surgeon evaluation.
• Operational Excellence: Develop process improvement initiatives and training materials to optimize clinic flow. Participate in business development efforts to increase service access and reduce administrative waste.
• Compliance: Adhere to all regulatory and Joint Commission requirements, including National Patient Safety Goals, patient rights, and ethical treatment standards.

Minimum Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED equivalent required.
• Associate's or Bachelor's degree preferred.

• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in a clinical setting with direct patient interaction.
• Three (3) to four (4) years of specific experience in Advanced Surgery Scheduling and care coordination.

• Clinical Knowledge: Strong proficiency in cardiac anatomy, clinical terminology, and understanding of imaging modalities (Radiology, Echo, Cath).
• Technical Coding: Proficient with CPT and ICD-10 coding.
• Administrative Tech: Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and a typing speed of 65-70 WPM.
• Communication: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills; ability to exercise "situational intelligence" when dealing with complex provider/patient needs.
• Insurance Advocacy: Deep understanding of health insurance plans to facilitate patient access and advocate for coverage.
• Critical Thinking: Ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment, anticipating the needs of surgeons and patients before they arise.