Department of Orthopaedics: Policy on Provider Scheduling

Unit Policy

Title

Department of Orthopaedics: Policy on Provider Scheduling

Introduction

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to define the requirements for provider scheduling.

Scope

This policy applies to all Department of Orthopaedics faculty and admin support associates.

Policy

Policy Statement

Faculty schedule changes and Away Days must be reported according to the deadlines established in this policy:

Temporary Schedule Changes

  • Away Dates: Reported at least 60 days in advance
  • Request for Call Swaps: Requested at least 30 days in advance
  • Modification to Clinic Times: Reported at least seven days in advance

Permanent Schedule Changes

  • Permanent Change: Reported at least 60 days in advance or as soon as confirmed

There are circumstances where a faculty member may be unable to meet the reporting deadlines for changes in schedules and Away Days. These circumstances may include illnesses or other unforeseen events. However, the reporting of routine schedule changes is considered good citizenship and will be monitored by leadership.

All schedules are maintained using QGenda, and all requests for changes to regular schedules must be made through the QGenda system. The faculty member’s Admin Support Associate is responsible for entering and processing requests in the QGenda system.

Away Days

An Away Day is any time the faculty member spends away from campus.

  • Vacation
  • Sick
  • Educational Conference
  • Speaking Engagement
  • Training on a non-administrative day
  • Paid consulting activities for an external entity occurring on any day
  • Locum Tenens activities for which you are paid directly by an agency

The following activities are not considered Away Days:

  • Off-Campus academic activities occurring on a Regular Administrative Day (including research and teaching)
  • Off-Campus administrative duties for which you receive compensation from the department (for example, medical directorship)
  • Off-Campus clinic duties related to a contract or service paid as compensation through the department
  • Any activity for a part-time faculty member, occurring in time not compensated by the department

Faculty Reporting

The following is the methodology that is to be used by faculty and APP providers to report time-off or changes in schedules. If faculty fail to follow this methodology, there is a risk that time-off and schedule changes may be missed.

  1. Faculty members must report all away days/temporary schedule change requests to their Admin Support Associate. Nurses and Clinic Staff cannot make changes in QGenda. If communication is made through ancillary staff, that ancillary staff member will be held responsible for ensuring changes are made in the QGenda system through the Admin Support Associate.
  2. Admin Support Associates enter changes time off / schedule changes using the Request or Swap function in QGenda. These requests must be made through the VIEW tab in QGenda. These are for all Temporary Schedule Changes.
  3. QGenda automatically distributes all changes to all ancillary staff on a daily basis to the personnel on the Distribution List
  4. Any changes to the Distribution List can be requested through the QGenda Scheduler
  5. Permanent Schedule Changes should be reported to the QGenda Scheduler and the Admin Support Associate

Creating Schedules

QGenda automates the process of creating schedules. The creation of schedules is managed by the QGenda Scheduler. Each faculty member has a profile that is used to assign a set of tasks which are collectively known as a skill set. This skill set defines how the schedule is created and is the place where Permanent Schedule Changes are made.

Schedules are created in three-month blocks at least one month in advance of the next block. Schedules are created in QGenda one week at a time.

Block periods run as follows:

  • Jul – Sept (completion deadline June 1)
  • Oct – Dec (completion deadline Sept 1)
  • Jan – Mar (completion deadline Dec 1)
  • Apr – Jun (completion deadline Mar 1)

Changes to schedules received after the completion deadline are entered manually. The QGenda Scheduler manages the process of making Permanent Schedule Changes.

  1. Scheduler opens the schedule in the ADMIN tab of QGenda
  2. QGenda Scheduler selects to view the first week of the scheduling block
  3. QGenda Scheduler reviews the skill set for each faculty member and makes any changes necessary to the skill set. (Recommended that the QGenda Scheduler reviews the skill set with the Admin Support Associate at the beginning of each block and communicate any known permanent changes to the provider's Skill Set)
  4. QGenda Scheduler selects Make Schedule (under tasks make sure that “Run – Faculty and APPs” is selected)
  5. Once complete, QGenda Scheduler reviews the schedule to make sure that every faculty member has tasks/vacation assigned for every day and that the assignments look reasonable.
  6. If there are conflicts/errors, the QGenda Scheduler may review the skills set and rules or consult with QGenda. Once the conflicts are resolved, the QGenda Reset the schedule (ensuring that only Pending items are reset) and selects “Make Schedule” again.
  7. The QGenda Scheduler requests that the Admin Support Associates review the first week of the schedule for their providers in the Admin tab. Admin Support Associate informs the QGenda Scheduler of any changes, and modifications are made.
  8. Once the review is complete, the QGenda Scheduler selects “Publish” [after the week is published; any permanent changes to the faculty members schedule have to be made manually in the Admin tab for the period. The faculty members skillset should be changed for the next time that the schedule is created.]
  9. Changes to faculty member’s permanent schedule may be made during the block, if they are known before the completion deadline. At the start week, when the permanent change takes effect, the QGenda Scheduler changes the skill set of the faculty member, before “Making the Schedule”.
  10. QGenda Scheduler completes the process for each week in the scheduling block, until the entire schedule is published. QGenda Scheduler sends an email through the Department Listserv, informing everyone that the schedule has been created.

Contact Information

Primary Contact

Name: James O. Sanders, MD - Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery

Telephone: 919-966-9072

Email: james_sanders@med.unc.edu

Other Contacts

Name: Paul Marini, MHA, FACHE - Associate Chair of Administration

Telephone: 919-843-9382

Email: Paul_Marini@med.unc.edu

Print Article