Medical Support Assistant (advanced)

Medical Support Assistant

The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) for the Whole Health Clinics performs clerical and administrative support in the coordination, care, and treatment provided to patients through the Whole Health clinics under the Associate Director for Patient Care Services. Work includes documentation in medical records, utilization of established protocols in the assessment and referral of patients to clinical staff, services, and other services as appropriate. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Scheduling appointments, including interpreting and verifying provider orders and using the consult toolbox in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.
• Assigning tasks such as scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring the electronic wait list (EWL); preparing for clinic visits; monitoring patient appointments for areas of responsibility; and verifying and updating demographics and insurance information.
• Receiving and processing applicants for outpatient treatment. MSA makes patient appointments and coordinates lab, imaging, and other clinic appointments for eligible Veterans.
• Initiating and coordinating patient processing activities and ensuring demographic information is correct and pre-registration is completed.
• Generating letters and pre-procedure instructions to patients.
• Reviewing patients' records upon completion of their visits and ensuring that all follow-up care has been scheduled.
• Interpreting outpatient policies to patients, their families, agency employees, and Veterans' organizations.
• Providing information and guidance to agency employees as requested.
• Extracting pertinent information from patient records and processing providers' plan for diagnosis and treatment.
• Retrieving medication profiles, test results, and patient information from Veterans Integrated and Systems Technology Architecture (VistA), as requested by the clinician.
• Monitoring pending consultations, including researching the patient record, tracking the progress of the consult, and ensuring the consult is completed in accordance with medical center and service line policy.
• Participating in daily/weekly team meetings where patient care planning and management occur.
• Serving as a Telehealth facilitator as needed, which includes coordinating and scheduling telehealth appointments with the provider, patient, equipment, and specific location.
• Performing administrative functions in conjunction with patient telephone calls and callers from other services for scheduling requests and assistance regarding specialty care concerns utilizing established protocols.
• Maintaining adequate supply of forms utilized in the processing of patients during their procedure/clinic visit/admission.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm

Requirements:

• You must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a trial period.
• 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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

Qualifications:

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Citizen of the United States.
• Experience and Education. (1) 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, (2) Education. One year above high school (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED); OR, (3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED).
• 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.

Grade Determinations:

Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-6:

• Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level.
• Assignment. The Advanced MSA provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Ability to collaborate and communicate with a wide range of medical clinicians across multiple disciplines.
• Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing, with internal and external customers.
• Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process as it relates to access to care.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community operational activities that affect patient flow, and patient support care administrative functions.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.

Preferred Experience: Scheduling experience.