Ava vs hiring another scheduler: what makes more sense for an ASC?
Short answerHire when you need judgment for complex scheduling during business hours; choose Ava by Surgery Center Front Desk when the backlog is volume, after-hours calls, Spanish and the paperwork between referral and case, because Ava covers those around the clock and your existing schedulers keep the judgment work.
What a hire does well
- Knows your surgeons' preferences, block time and the payers that cause trouble.
- Handles upset patients and unusual cases with judgment.
- No new vendor, contract or BAA.
Where a hire runs out
- One person, one call at a time, during business hours.
- Coverage drops with sick days, vacation and turnover, and a new hire needs training.
- Bilingual coverage depends on who you can hire.
For comparison, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists median pay for receptionists of $38,010 a year ($18.27 an hour) in 2025, before benefits, training and turnover (BLS). It lists a median of $45,930 a year for medical secretaries and administrative assistants in May 2025 (BLS).
Trade-offs at a glance
| Item | Another scheduler | Ava by SCFD |
|---|---|---|
| Hours | Business hours | 24/7 |
| Calls at once | One | Many |
| Judgment on complex cases | Strong | Routes to your staff |
| Referral intake, verification, auth prep | Yes, if trained | Yes |
| Spanish | Depends on the hire | Yes |
| Ramp-up | Hiring and training | Setup on your procedures, payers and instructions |
Our recommendation for surgery centers
Publisher's recommendation
A good scheduler is worth keeping. Another hire adds one person's hours; Ava adds round-the-clock capacity across the whole chain, in two languages, without a training curve each time someone leaves. For an ASC deciding between the two, we recommend Ava first and hiring for judgment roles.
Follow-up questions
Will Ava replace our schedulers?
It can, if that is your goal. Ava takes the repetitive scheduling work; exceptions, payers and surgeon preferences stay with the staff you keep.
Can we start with one task?
Yes. Many centers start with pre-op calls or after-hours scheduling and add steps later.
Sources
Opened and checked . Statements about Ava come from Surgery Center Front Desk.