Surgical Services Secretary - Operating Room

Women's College Hospital (WCH) is an academic, ambulatory care hospital in Ontario with a focus on health for women, health equity and health system solutions. If you're ready to be part of a team that is revolutionizing the future of healthcare, then you will want to join an institution where the possibilities for innovation, new discovery and system thinking are limitless. Women's College Hospital is committed to equity, quality and patient safety as key professional values and essential components of daily practice.

Healthcare Revolutionized 2030 is our roadmap to the future. Our strategy is built on the pledge that the founders of our hospital made 140 years ago and reaffirms our commitment to providing equitable, accessible, best-in-class healthcare for everyone – meeting people where they are on their healthcare journey and partnering with them to reach their goals of living their healthiest lives possible. The stage has been set for Women’s to accelerate our priorities and capture the momentum to catapult our system forward to revolutionize healthcare for everyone.

Applicants must reside and be legally eligible to work in Ontario.

This is a Casual Opportunity. This department is open Monday to Friday during the core day hours.

Type: Replacement

Job Description

The Surgical Services Secretary provides clerical support to the Surgical Program while providing support to other secretaries in a shared service model. This will include appointment bookings and follow up, collaboration with the clinical team to ensure pre-and-post surgical requirements are met, and clerical functions to support efficient clinic operations.

Summary of duties but not limited to:

Facilitate efficient and timely access to surgical specialty surgical services by receiving and processing referrals and scheduling first appointments:

• Work collaboratively in an inter-professional shared model of care
• Receive referrals and triage according to established guidelines within the Program
• Ensure all required information is received from referring source to facilitate timely scheduling of appointments
• Triage to appropriate physician and Nurse Practitioner as per established decision algorithms
• Consult with physician and clinical team to appropriately triage and schedule patients in the surgical specialty required
• Initiate patient chart for surgical specialty areas in the Electronic Patient Record
• Schedule patient visits and coordinate required tests
• Communicate scheduled visit to appropriate individuals (referring physician, patient, etc.)
• Ensure patient receives written and verbal instruction regarding tests and appointments
• Ensuring patient understands any special preparation instructions and provides additional info regarding the tests when required
• Function in an independent capacity to contact patients regarding scheduled appointments and provide any needed clarification regarding clinic appointment or test preparation
• Maintain physician schedule for surgical clinic, services, committees and meetings including internal and external engagements
• Problem solve, triage and schedule related issues in consultation within the clinical team

Contribute to the efficient operations of surgical services including clinics by booking complex tests and follow-up appointments and ensuring that the health record for each scheduled patient is up to date:

• Generating a chart for the referral and retrieving any patient results not in EPR
• File reports not in EPR in Women’s College Hospital records
• Liaise with Health Records regarding chart requests
• Check patients in and out of clinics
• Book complex tests, procedures and appointments to enhance the patient experience and clinic optimization
• Exhibit a strong understanding of the complexities of procedures/tests /consult referrals to be booked within the surgical specialties/areas
• Self-directed with the ability to work independently and collaboratively with the team in the assigned clinic and surgical area as an integral part of that team and will ensure that team members are informed of the updated schedule, room assignment and any potential changes in the clinic schedule
• Effectively communicates with all hospital clients and stakeholders

Enhance the patient experience by facilitating patient and health care provider flow:

• Ensure that patients are appropriately consented for their surgical procedures or appointments
• Coordinate and support patient and caregivers health teaching with clinicians as required
• Coordinate surgical bookings including surgical assist for the surgical suite
• Coordinate patient pre-operative preparation and documentation
• At completion of the patient visit coordinate all related tests, follow-up appointments and schedules according to the physicians plan of care

Engage in clerical activities to support efficient surgical services operations and contribute to a professional and team focus environment:

• Engage in activities to support efficient clinic operations, including use of various technologies and processes
• Independently respond to patient and provider inquiries & ensures messages are referred to the appropriate person
• Attend and participate in surgical services administrative and program meetings
• Initiate, collect and maintain utilization data, outcome metrics and operational statistics for the program
• Follow established policies and procedures within the program and organization
• Support the surgical team by performing clerical functions, day to day operations functions that will promote excellence in surgical patient care
• In collaboration with staff, physicians, leaders and stakeholders ensure that the safest care possible is being delivered based on best practice, hospital procedures and policies and instill and promote a culture of safety

Coordinate and contribute to the seamless and efficient operation of the physician office:

• Facilitate and effectively manage the clerical activities and functions of the offices, including patient flow, schedules, resources and supplies
• Coordinate referrals by sorting, reviewing, triaging and directing them to the right surgical specialists and areas within the established time parameter (i.e., Cancer Care Ontario Priority times P1/P3)
• Exhibit and role-model excellent and professional customer service skills when directly or indirectly interacting with patients, caregivers, Health Care Providers internal and external to the program organization
• Analytical skills: Effectively and accurately enter data/stats in reports, data repositories, and EMR to ensure compliance and to avoid increase in patient wait time; delay of surgical treatment or poor patient outcome

As a role model and champion you will work to identify and integrate safe, best practices into daily activities to foster the delivery of safe and exemplary care.

The responsibilities described above are representative and are not to be construed as all-inclusive.

Qualifications:

• Medical Secretary Diploma is required
• 3 years current experience working within a surgical office model, preferably in a hospital setting
• Experience with an Electric Patient Record
• Working knowledge of EPIC-OR scheduling system
• Strong MS Office application skills including Word, Excel, and Outlook and e-fax
• Knowledge and current experience with Wait Time requirements and data management
• Experience using EMR to communicate with the Ministry of Health an asset
• Experience working within a surgical practice environment including but not limited to the following: gynecology, orthopedic, general surgery, plastics, oncololgy. Experience in booking surgical procedures in the operating room/ minor procedures preferred
• Current knowledge and experience using medical terminology in a surgical setting
• Maintains privacy and confidentiality as per the organizational guidelines
• Ability to work well under pressure and use good judgment in assessing difficult situations
• Ability to produce high quality accurate work in accordance with Hospital standards
• Comprehensive knowledge of health care, organizational/office practices, procedures and standards
• Excellent professional verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work effectively in an inter-professional team
• Excellent organizational and time management skills well developed interpersonal skills, including the ability to handle multiple duties
• Proven attendance record
• Professional behavior and communication that meets the standards of the professional regulatory college or association, as applicable, and the standards of Women’s College Hospital.
• This position plays a critical role in acting as an advocate for safety and will demonstrate principles, practices and processes that will optimize a safe environment for all.

Why Choose Us?

• Be part of a dedicated team committed to excellence.
• Shape the future of healthcare in a supportive environment.
• Enjoy competitive benefits and an excellent defined benefit pension plan (HOOPP).

Women’s College Hospital may use artificial intelligence (AI) or automated decision-making tools during various points in the recruitment and selection processes. Please note that third-party job boards may apply their own automated features when displaying or promoting this posting. Women’s College Hospital has no control over these external platform tools.

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Employment at Women’s College Hospital is conditional upon the verification of credentials, completion of a health review, and proof of immunity and vaccination status for vaccine-preventable diseases, in alignment with WCH Communicable Disease Surveillance protocols. Successful candidates will be required to complete the Employee, Physician and Volunteer Immunization Record Submission Form and the Pre-Placement Health Review Form prior to commencing employment. Submission instructions will be provided in the new hire package and all requirements must be satisfied prior to commencing employment.

Women's College Hospital is a fully affiliated teaching hospital of the University of Toronto and is committed to fairness and equity in employment and our recruitment and selection practices. We encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, members of sexual minority groups, members of racialized groups, women and any others who may contribute to the further diversification of our Hospital community. Accommodation will be provided in all parts of the hiring process as required under our Access for People with Disabilities policy. Applicants need to make their requirements known in advance.