RN PAT Coordinator

Welcome to Northwest Surgery Center

Conveniently located on the Ascension Seton Northwest Hospital campus. We have 7 OR rooms and 1 Procedure room. We perform outpatient surgical procedures in ENT, General, Ophthalmology, Orthopedic, Pain Management, Podiatry, Urology. Position requires weekdays only -- no holidays, weekends, or call. Some early mornings and later evenings may be required; schedule subject to change based on surgical schedule and flow of the day.

RN PAT Coordinator at Northwest Surgery Center

The Pre Admission Testing (PAT) Coordinator serves as the department leader and is responsible for the daily oversight, performance, and coordination of all Pre Admission Testing activities. This role ensures patients are appropriately assessed, clinically cleared, and prepared for surgery through accurate chart review, timely completion of preoperative requirements, and adherence to established PAT criteria, physician protocols, and accreditation standards.

The PAT Coordinator is accountable for departmental productivity, quality outcomes, staff development, workflow management, and continuous process improvement. This position serves as the primary resource for PAT team members and collaborates closely with physicians, anesthesia providers, schedulers, and surgery center leadership to optimize patient readiness, reduce cancellations, and improve operational efficiency.

In addition to leadership responsibilities, the PAT Coordinator performs comprehensive preoperative nursing assessments, collects and analyzes clinical data, develops and implements plans of care, evaluates patient progress, and ensures appropriate documentation. Care is provided with sensitivity to the age specific and unique needs of each patient and family.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee the daily operations of the PAT department.
• Serve as the primary resource and team lead for PAT staff.
• Monitor and maintain departmental productivity, quality, and service standards.
• Ensure PAT criteria, clinical protocols, physician requirements, and regulatory standards are consistently followed.
• Manage workflow to ensure timely completion of patient assessments, required testing, medical clearances, and documentation.
• Proactively oversee patient readiness with a goal of clearing patients for surgery at least 5 business days prior to their scheduled procedure whenever clinically feasible.
• Conduct comprehensive preoperative patient assessments and chart reviews.
• Coordinate with physicians, anesthesia providers, primary care providers, and specialists to obtain necessary clearances and documentation.
• Identify workflow inefficiencies and implement process improvement initiatives to increase productivity and enhance patient outcomes.
• Monitor department metrics and develop action plans to address opportunities for improvement.
• Train, mentor, and support PAT staff while promoting accountability and professional development.
• Collaborate with surgery scheduling, clinical leadership, and physicians to address patient readiness concerns and minimize day of surgery issues.
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation within Epic and other electronic medical record systems.
• Promote a culture of teamwork, accountability, customer service, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited school of nursing.
• Current Registered Nurse (RN) license in the State of Texas.
• Minimum of 3 to 5 years of nursing experience in an acute care, perioperative, or surgical setting.
• PAT experience strongly preferred.
• Prior leadership, coordinator, charge nurse, or supervisory experience preferred.
• Proficiency with Epic, electronic medical records, and medical documentation systems.
• Strong knowledge of preoperative assessment, surgical procedures, and perioperative patient management.
• Ability to recognize, evaluate, and resolve problems while implementing effective solutions.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and critical thinking skills.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and customer service skills.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with patients, physicians, staff, vendors, and the public.
• Demonstrates professionalism, accountability, adaptability, innovation, and a commitment to excellence.
• Strong teaching, coaching, and mentoring abilities.
• Understanding of regulatory, accreditation, and quality standards related to surgical services.

What We Offer

As an organization, one way we care for our communities and each other is by providing a comprehensive benefits package that includes the following, subject to employment status:

• Medical, dental, vision, and prescription coverage
• Life and AD&D coverage
• Availability of short- and long-term disability
• Flexible financial benefits including FSAs and HSAs
• 401(k) and access to retirement planning
• Paid holidays and vacation

Who We Are

At USPI, we create relationships that create better care. We partner with physicians and healthcare systems to provide first-class ambulatory solutions throughout the United States. We are committed to providing surgical services in the most efficient and clinically excellent manner.

USPI is committed to, and proud of our inclusive culture. An inclusive culture, in our view, is respectful of differences and nurtures and supports the contributions of each individual, while also embracing and leveraging diversity. A diverse workforce, combined with an inclusive culture, makes USPI stronger and better able to meet the needs of our diverse patient and physician population.

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Required Skills:

Performance Expectations

• Maintain high levels of patient readiness and surgical preparedness.
• Ensure PAT team members maintain a productivity target of 20 or more patient charts cleared per day.
• Achieve a departmental goal of having patients clinically cleared and surgery ready at least 5 business days prior to their scheduled procedure whenever possible.
• Minimize day of surgery cancellations, delays, and scheduling disruptions related to incomplete PAT requirements.
• Monitor and improve key performance indicators, including productivity, turnaround times, patient readiness, and cancellation rates.
• Lead continuous process improvement efforts that enhance efficiency, quality, and patient satisfaction.
• Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, ownership, and exceptional service.