OR Pavilion Scheduling Specialist, Full-time, Rotating - Northwestern Memorial Healthcare

At Northwestern Medicine, every patient interaction makes a difference in cultivating a positive workplace. This patient-first approach is what sets us apart as a leader in the healthcare industry. As an integral part of our team, you'll have the opportunity to join our quest for better healthcare, no matter where you work within the Northwestern Medicine system. At Northwestern Medicine, we pride ourselves on providing competitive benefits: from tuition reimbursement and loan forgiveness to 401(k) matching and lifecycle benefits, we take care of our employees. Ready to join our quest for better?

Schedule: The orientation schedule is from 8am-4:30pm, and the regular shift will be M-F 8:00am-4:30pm. This position will also cover shift gaps, call-offs, vacations, and absences for all OR Pavilion Scheduling Specialists and the Feinberg Control Desk. Rotation may include weekend shifts and holiday coverage as needed by the department.

The OR Pavilion Scheduling Specialist, Operating Room reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, adheres to the organization’s Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards.

The OR Pavilion Scheduling Specialist, Operating Room supports the Operating Room (OR) scheduling production process through planning and coordinating OR surgery schedule to maximize patient access and efficient use of operating rooms, equipment, and staff under supervision of the Medical Director/Anesthesia Coordinator/Director/Manager/Resource Coordinator. This position will act as an office scheduling liaison for the pavilion operating room staff, physicians, and management to relay patient throughput and scheduling information requiring interfacing with supporting departments.  

Responsibilities:

Scheduling Functions:

• Accesses protected health information (PHI) and ensures all job duties are in accordance with NM confidentiality policies and procedures and HIPPA guidelines.
• Demonstrate in-depth scheduling working knowledge and expertise with clinical based computer systems by initiating, coordinating and maintaining the schedule over the operating room pavilion(s).
• Monitors tentative operating room schedules and identifies scheduling barriers (e.g., surgical procedures/procedure name and discrepancies in type of operating room (OR)/pavilion assignment) and contacts appropriate scheduling office/service and implements solutions to improve scheduling workflow.
• Collaborates with Medical Director/Anesthesia/surgeons/nursing/scheduling office to complete adjustments to the OR schedule prior to surgery date and communicates changes to scheduling office/Central Scheduling and others as appropriate.
• Interacts effectively and acts as the pavilion liaison between multiple supporting departments to gather information needed to schedule surgeries consistent with department guidelines and reviewing physician scheduling requests and patient needs.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with physicians, nursing, staff, and management.
• Determines order in which surgical procedures are scheduled, by reviewing procedure type/category/case level, duration time, and OR availability and schedules cases in accordance with Surgical Services scheduling guidelines.
• Assigns operating suites and equipment and block times to maximize efficient use of resources and communicates to the appropriate staff of the changes.
• Collaborates and participates in the OR daily huddle with Pavilion Medical Director/Manager for final approval of the next day surgical schedule.
• Ensures, maintains, and validates the surgery schedule is accurate and aligns with the scheduling guidelines in an efficient and equitable manner.
• Cross trained to fill in and effectively perform all other job functions across surgical pavilions to staffing relief/coverage for the Information liaison(s)/OR Pavilion Scheduling Specialists(s)/Resource Coordinator, as needed.

Control Desk Functions:

• Assists the Anesthesia Coordinator/OR Clinical Coordinator at the Control Desk to ensure optimal care and coordination of current day surgical patients.
• Answer high volume phone line and aids the caller/employee to include accurately scheduling same day/next day add-on procedures within the electronic health record (e.g., EPIC).
• Effectively communicates information with other departments, staff, management and physicians.
• Recognizes and responds appropriately to semi-urgent/urgent/emergent scheduling situations per protocols.
• Assists with rescheduling surgeries as needed to accommodate emergencies other unanticipated events.
• Ability to collaborate across departments and build effective relationships with internal and external customers/staff to ensure operational processes are met.
• Extends knowledge as required of new scheduling processes/service line expansions. Acquires and maintains knowledge of patient throughput/scheduling process changes/operational enhancements.
• Contacts units/departments to coordinate surgical patients and accurately submits transport requests to the operating room/pre-operative holding area.
• Accurately completes operating room assignments/on-call assignments for the required staff.
• Performs all responsibilities in a professional manner that demonstrates appropriate behavior toward staff, peers, external contacts, patients/family members/companions, and other departments guided by our NM AIDET communication tool which conveys all essential information with clarity, compassion and understanding (e.g., Acknowledge, Introduce, Duration, Explanation, and Thank you).
• Screens all phone call requests for patient information and refers to appropriate staff.
• Enters facility work orders and supply order when required by assigned department.
• Prints final schedules for operating rooms on a daily basis and creates copies and distributes to appropriate areas as needed.
• Uses computer applications or other automated systems such as excel spreadsheets, word processing, Microsoft Outlook calendar, and Microsoft Outlook e-mail and database software in performing work assignments.
• Performs clerical and administrative functions under the supervision of the Resource Coordinator/Operations Manager.

Patient Registration Functions and Pavilion Communications:

• Patient Tracking System – checks patients in and enters next days cases into system
• Registration forms:
• Patient Information Complete
• Hospital Consent
• Advance Directives
• Medicaid
• Medicare
• HIPAA/Privacy
• Communicate patient/family information to ASU and OR staff
• Provide assistance/directions to volunteers
• Ensure patient charts are together for the next day
• Order unit supplies
• Maintain waiting room area/coffee & vending machine area – supplies for visitors
• Other patient registration functions and unit communications as needed

Pavilion Communication and Coordination Functions:

• Responds to Emergency Call light by transporting Cardiac Crash cart to appropriate OR, notify managers of situation
• Communicates patient / family information to ASU/OR/SDS/Anesthesia/OR Nursing/Recovery room/CSS/ and family waiting areas regarding add-on cases, cancellations, and bypass RR patients
• Maintains and updates Nursing Staff Directory (address and home/cell phone numbers)
• Maintains and updates triage list
• Enters broken equipment into data base for repair and ensures broken pagers are replaced
• Facilitates communication between OR / Pre & Post-op / CSS departments
• Receives and directs calls from physician offices and patients
• Other unit communication coordination functions as needed

Customer Service Functions:

• Visitor & Vendor coordination
• Maintain Visitor/Vendor Sign in & out book
• Ensure all Visitor/Vendors have badges
• Confirm access approvals in place according to policies
• Contact ORSCs, CCs, and others as needed (ask Vendors to wait while ORSC/CC for the OR is contacted/call manager or designee for assistance as needed).
• Coordinate scrub attire/lockers as needed
• Maintain access approval paperwork for Vendors / Visitors
• Checks and orders disposable scrubs as necessary; puts scrubs away upon delivery
• Family and significant others
• Give directions as needed to lounge/cafeterias, etc.
• Convey messages to nursing staff/CCs as needed
• Other Departments:
• Assist Hospital Transportation staff in checking off / picking up specimens
• Offer assistance/directions to others
• Other customer service functions as needed

Administrative Support:

• Orders unit supplies
• Assists manager and ORSCs with scheduling of conference room, meetings
• Maintains locker data base
• Support nursing staff scheduling using hospital dedicated scheduling system
• Other administrative support as needed

OR Pavilion Scheduling Specialists are located in 3 pavilions: Feinberg, Lavin and Prentice. The job functions are modified for these areas; however each OR Pavilion Scheduling Specialist is required to be able to carry out all duties pertaining to the specific area.

Additional Responsibilities and Qualifications:

• Participates in regularly scheduling perioperative meetings to improve operational performance that leads to better patient outcomes and great patient satisfaction.

Required:

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• 3-5 years of relevant surgery scheduling or related work experience.
• Knowledge/certification completion of medical and scheduling terminology.
• Basic personal computer knowledge.

Preferred:

• College level experience.
• Previous hospital and team work group experience.
• Customer Service experience.
• EPIC Intraop scheduling experience.
• Strong organizational skills, and proficiency with computers, and business office equipment.

Northwestern Medicine is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status.