Cardiothoracic Surgery Liaison

We are partnering with a leading healthcare institution dedicated to delivering exceptional patient care and advancing medical innovation. This organization is at the forefront of providing critical surgical services, impacting countless lives through its commitment to excellence. As a vital member of their team, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring seamless patient journeys, optimizing complex surgical coordination, and building essential relationships that directly contribute to life-changing outcomes. Your expertise will empower providers, comfort patients, and enhance the operational efficiency of a dynamic clinical environment.

**About the Role:**

This dynamic role is central to orchestrating the intricate world of surgical patient care. You will be the linchpin connecting patients, providers, and multidisciplinary teams, ensuring every step from initial referral to post-operative follow-up is meticulously managed. This is an opportunity to leverage your advanced coordination and relationship-building skills to make a tangible difference in patient access, experience, and the overall success of critical surgical programs.

**Key Responsibilities:**

* Act as a primary liaison for care coordination, collaborating with clinical leadership, anesthesia teams, residents, advanced practice providers, and nurses to streamline surgical workflows.

* Manage complex care coordination, including inpatient transfers, surgical add-ons, admissions, multidisciplinary surgical clearances, and diagnostic studies.

* Oversee the intricate calendars for busy surgical practices, balancing clinic appointments, surgeries, procedures, and meetings.

* Facilitate authorization for both outpatient and inpatient services, including managing appeals, peer-to-peer reviews, pre-admissions, and transfer requests.

* Ensure efficient flow of patient information among providers, inpatient and outpatient teams, and ancillary services.

* Handle critical care and complex referral triage, managing inbound departmental communications for all providers.

* Cultivate, build, and sustain strong relationships with referring physicians, enhancing patient experience and upholding departmental standards.

* Collaborate with business development teams to expand patient access across the broader healthcare network.

* Expedite chart completion and record requests, including diagnostic surgical imaging.

* Manage the entire patient throughput and care coordination process, from new patient intake to surgery scheduling and post-operative visits.

* Develop and implement process improvement initiatives and training materials to optimize operational efficiency.

* Support physician referral relations by ensuring timely communication between operating and referring physicians.

* Coordinate with specialized services to ensure all necessary patient-specific orders are fulfilled, including donor-designated requests.

* Determine patient insurance eligibility, obtain pre-authorizations for admissions and surgeries, and gather essential information for comprehensive patient evaluations.

* Procure medical records, imaging, and test results from external facilities to support insurance processes and patient care.

* Schedule patient tests, hospital admissions, surgeries, and specialized procedures, demonstrating a clear understanding of pre-surgical requirements.

**Qualifications:**

**Education:**

* High school diploma or GED equivalent required.

* Associate's degree preferred.

**Experience:**

* At least five (5) years of experience in a clinical setting with direct patient interaction.

**Must-Have Skills:**

* Proficiency with medical coding systems (CPT/ICD-10 Codes).

* Understanding of imaging modalities such as Radiology, Echo, and Cath.

* Proficiency in clinical terminology and relevant anatomical knowledge.

* Advanced surgery scheduling and care coordination experience (3-4 years).

* Exceptional ability to multi-task and manage competing priorities effectively.

* Typing speed of at least 65-70 WPM.

* Demonstrated ability to build and maintain strong relationships with referring physicians and their staff.

* Excellent organizational skills for coordinating patient care.

* A strong understanding of health insurance plans to advocate for patients and facilitate access to care.

* Proven ability to work, learn, and adapt quickly in a fast-paced environment.

* Moderate to advanced proficiency in Microsoft systems, including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.

* Strong critical thinking and analytical skills, with the ability to anticipate patient and provider needs.

* Outstanding customer service skills.

* Professional and polite verbal and written communication skills.

* Ability to contribute to projects and initiatives aimed at enhancing productivity and strengthening external relationships.

**Nice-to-Have Skills:**

* Experience with electronic health records (EHR) systems.

* Advanced proficiency in Microsoft systems.

* Solution-oriented mindset.

* A proactive approach to identifying opportunities for enhanced productivity and efficiency.

**About Aquent Talent:**

Aquent Talent connects the best talent in marketing, creative, and design with the world's biggest brands.

Our eligible talent get access to amazing benefits like subsidized health, vision, and dental plans, paid sick leave, and retirement plans with a match. More information on our awesome benefits!

Aquent is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. We're about creating an inclusive environment-one where different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives are valued, and everyone can contribute, grow their careers, and thrive.