Centralized Scheduling Specialist (Full Time- Onsite)

About North Country Healthcare (NCH): 

North Country Healthcare is a non-profit affiliation of four medical facilities, Androscoggin Valley Hospital, North Country Home Health & Hospice Agency, Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital, and Weeks Medical Center, located in the White Mountains Region of New Hampshire. NCH includes numerous physicians and medical providers at multiple locations. This leading comprehensive healthcare network which employs hundreds of highly trained individuals delivers integrated patient care through three community hospitals, specialty clinics, and home health and hospice services. NCH remains committed to the health and well-being of the communities we serve. As a leader in a management position this role emphasizes advancing High-Reliability Organization (HRO) principles, embedding a culture of safety, accountability, and consistent high performance. 

POSITION SUMMARY: The Centralized Scheduling Coordinator is responsible for coordinating patient access through the accurate and timely scheduling of appointments, diagnostic testing, procedures, and referrals across North Country Healthcare. This position serves as a central point of contact for patients, providers, referring offices, and internal departments, ensuring services are scheduled in accordance with organizational standards, provider protocols, clinical priorities, and payer requirements. The Centralized Scheduling Coordinator verifies demographic and insurance information, reviews provider orders and referrals, coordinates financial clearance activities, provides appointment preparation instructions, and supports a seamless patient experience while contributing to operational efficiency and revenue cycle performance.

The anticipated hourly range for this position is $18.77/hr - $23.46/hr - $25.34/hr. Final compensation will be determined based on the selected candidate's applicable experience, skills, qualifications, and other job-related factors.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent

Licensure

Not required

Certifications

Not required

Skills

• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with professional telephone etiquette.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong organizational, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with interdisciplinary teams.
• Knowledge of medical terminology preferred.
• Basic understanding of insurance eligibility, referrals, and prior authorization processes preferred.
• Proficiency with electronic medical records, scheduling software, Microsoft Office applications, and other applicable technology.

Work Experience

One (1) year of healthcare scheduling, patient access, customer service, or related healthcare experience preferred. Experience with electronic medical records and scheduling systems preferred.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Patient Scheduling & Access

1. Receives and processes incoming scheduling requests, provider orders, referrals, and patient appointment requests.
2. Schedules patient appointments, diagnostic testing, procedures, and ancillary services according to organizational scheduling standards and provider protocols.
3. Prioritizes urgent scheduling requests while maintaining established service level expectations.
4. Coordinates multiple appointments when appropriate to improve patient convenience and continuity of care.
5. Maintains provider scheduling templates and appointment availability in accordance with organizational policies.

1. Cross-trains across multiple specialties, outpatient departments, hospital services, referral functions, and scheduling workflows to ensure operational flexibility and continuity of patient access.
2. Supports multiple scheduling functions, specialties, departments, referral queues, worklists, and communication channels based on operational priorities and staffing needs.

Referral & Order Management

1. Reviews provider orders and referrals for completeness, required documentation, diagnosis, and scheduling requirements.
2. Processes referrals within established turnaround times.
3. Collaborates with referring providers and internal departments to obtain missing or incomplete documentation.
4. Maintains referral and scheduling work queues, ensuring timely follow-up and resolution.
5. Ensures scheduling is completed according to clinical priorities and organizational workflows.

Registration & Financial Clearance

1. Verifies patient demographic and insurance information for accuracy.
2. Identifies insurance eligibility, referral, prior authorization, and medical necessity requirements prior to scheduling services.
3. Documents authorization and referral information accurately within the electronic medical record.
4. Identifies potential financial clearance concerns and collaborates with Financial Counseling or appropriate departments as needed.
5. Supports organizational efforts to minimize scheduling-related denials and improve clean claim performance.

Patient Communication

1. Provides exceptional customer service during all patient interactions.
2. Answers incoming telephone calls promptly, professionally, and courteously while managing multiple communication channels in a fast-paced environment.
3. Responds to secure electronic messages, patient portal requests, referral communications, and other scheduling inquiries within established departmental service standards.
4. Provides patients with appointment details, preparation instructions, arrival information, and answers general scheduling questions.
5. Routes clinical questions and patient concerns to the appropriate clinical staff.
6. Reschedules and cancels appointments in accordance with organizational policies while ensuring continuity of patient care.
7. Prepares and mails appointment confirmations, new patient packets, preparation instructions, and other appointment related correspondence to patients in a timely manner.
8. Educates patients regarding available registration, financial counseling, interpreter, and other patient access resources when appropriate.

Documentation & Quality

1. Documents all patient interactions accurately and timely within the electronic medical record.Scans or uploads provider orders and supporting documentation as required.
2. Meets departmental productivity, quality, and customer service standards.
3. Participates in quality improvement initiatives and workflow optimization.
4. Maintains patient confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA and organizational policies.
5. Maintains competency regarding scheduling protocols, payer requirements, and organizational procedures.
6. Demonstrates accuracy and attention to detail while maintaining established productivity and quality standards.

Customer Service

1. Demonstrates North Country Healthcare's Mission, Vision, Values, and Standards of Excellence in every patient interaction.
2. Maintains a professional, respectful, and compassionate approach with patients, providers, and coworkers.
3. Contributes to a positive team environment focused on exceptional patient access and service.

Non-Essential Functions

1. Participates in departmental meetings, education, and cross-training opportunities.
2. Assists with implementation of new scheduling processes, technology, and workflow improvements.
3. Performs additional duties as assigned by leadership.
4. Supports organizational initiatives and continuous improvement efforts.
5. Provides scheduling support across all North Country Healthcare service lines as operational needs require.

Physical Requirements

• Frequent sitting.
• Frequent use of computers, telephones, and office equipment.
• Frequent keyboarding and data entry.
• Occasional standing and walking.
• Ability to communicate effectively in person and by telephone.
• Ability to occasionally lift up to 20 pounds.

Performance Expectations

The Centralized Scheduling Coordinator is expected to consistently achieve departmental performance standards, including but not limited to:

• Scheduling accuracy
• Documentation accuracy
• Telephone service level expectations
• Average Speed to Answer (ASA)
• Call Quality Audit Scores
• Referral turnaround time
• Order-to-Schedule turnaround time
• Work queue aging standards
• Appointment utilization
• Productivity standards
• Patient satisfaction
• Compliance with scheduling protocols
• Compliance with organizational policies and regulatory requirements