Medical Support Assistant (adv

Advanced Medical Support Assistant

The incumbent serves as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant in the Health Administration Service at Fort Meade, MD. The Advanced MSA works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model (i.e. PACT) and performs administrative duties, customer service and other duties assigned for the proper and timely treatment of patients. The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series.

Responsibilities include:

• Scheduling appointments in accordance with VHA Directive 1230 and VHA Directive 1232 (2); including canceling, re-scheduling, and no showing patient appointments and/or consults.
• Ensuring appropriate patient actions are taken within Integrated Scheduling Solution (ISS) (scheduling, check-in, check-out, and no-shows).
• Daily review of active/pending consults, Recall List (Delinquent), Return to Clinic Orders (Query from ISS) and View Alerts, Secure Messager, online appointments (VAOS), other communications mediums for accuracy and disposition.
• Verifies and updates patient demographics to include capturing insurance data. Ensures that all patients are identified by photo identification.
• Ensures that all patients are identified by photo identification.
• Ensures that patient encounters are given to the Provider or clinical staff by the end of business each day and that patient encounters are completed for clinics assigned by the end of each business day (no-shows and patient cancellations).
• Incumbent processes Veteran Identification cards (VIC), as needed, must use all photograph equipment, hardware and software to complete the process of producing a VIC.
• The incumbent must completely understand and be able to explain complex regulations and eligibility criteria concerning veterans I Entitlements and VA HealthCare Benefits, priorities for care, access to care and advanced clinical access.
• The MSA may also be asked to assist Veterans with completing travel vouchers for the benefits of Beneficiary Travel.
• Extracting medical information from electronic records when requested by Providers, Social Workers, Nurses, and Supervisors while maintaining HIPPA standards.
• Receiving and directing patients and visitors, in person and by telephone, answering routine inquiries, and making appropriate referral of questions concerning patients' care.
• The MSA is able to independently manage position responsibilities with little supervision as well as set priorities and deadlines adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs.
• The MSA participates in the daily team let huddles and weekly team meetings where patient care planning and management occur, except during staff shortages for coverage.
• Notifies his/her supervisor when clinic access is less than desirable or if an individual patient cannot be scheduled within mandated clinic timeframes.
• Coordinates administrative services for veterans, family members, caregivers, and general public, administrative and clinical staff to ensure continuity of inpatient and outpatient care.
• When records are received, the incumbent will ensure that all necessary health/administrative information is integrated into Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) by sending the documents to be scanned.
• Incumbent develops and maintains effective working relationships with all clinical and administrative staff in determining priorities of activities in support of direct patient care.
• Requires frequent changes to VHA directives, regulations and local policies and constant coordination to ensure compliance and standardization associated with Advanced Clinic Access principles.
• Generates patient workload reports for validation and monitors activity in clinical areas to assure consistent and accurate reporting.
• Assist in organization and implementation for quality assurance projects or surveys; prepares a wide variety of administrative reports and documents for supervisor and Site Manager.
• Conducts PACT Team patient/employee surveys, interviews, observes workflow; guides patients through hospital system, inputs referrals, documents complaints, and provides follow-up and suggests resolutions to supervisor.
• All appointments will be made with the patient's input, either in person or by phone. This may require a high level of coordination to avoid patients having to make multiple trips to the medical center or clinic whenever possible.
• Incumbent interviews to resolve difficult problems and diffuses potential dissatisfaction with VA services in order to prevent congressional and adverse publicity.
• Serves as technical advisor and liaison with contacts at all levels.
• The work requires the ability to work in a busy environment, multi-task, lead, and organize a large group of staff in various work areas to produce results, ensure compliance, as well as process and follow-up on a very high volume of phone calls or written requests from patients inquiring about appointments or their status of their next new or follow-up appointment.
• The work requires a high degree of judgment, fact-finding, and coordination with people at various levels (patients, management, VISN).
• Additional duties or tasks may be assigned by the supervisor to ensure efficient daily operations.

Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday

Telework: Not available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position

Functional Statement #: 25597-F

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.

Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.

Must be proficient in written and spoken English.

Subject to background/security investigation.

Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements.

Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

Citizenship. Citizen of the United States.

Experience and Education. Experience. Six months experience of clerical, office, customer service, or other administrative work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position; OR, Education. One year above high school; OR, Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.

Certification. None required.

Grandfathering Provision. All MSAs employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, which are a part of the basic requirements of the occupation.

For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:

(1) Such employees may be reassigned, promoted, or changed to a lower grade within the occupation.

(2) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.

(3) If an employee who was converted to Title 38 hybrid status under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs.

Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook.

English Language Proficiency. MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.j.

Grade Determinations:

Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-6

Experience. One year of experience equivalent