Advanced Medical Support Assistant

Advanced Medical Support Assistant

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (MSA) position serves as a Clinic Clerk and is a foundational role within the VHA Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) initiative as well as the VHA Patient Centered Medical Home Model transformation initiative. Patient care is delivered in a team-based model known as the teamlet. This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 25, 2026.

Responsibilities include:

• Customer service is essential in this role. Performs all administrative duties assigned for the proper and timely treatment of patients and maintains appointment schedules for one or more outpatient clinics.
• Assists with clinic access contingency plans by adjusting appointment times, location, or dates as well as shift patients to other healthcare providers as conflict with staffing and/or coverage occurs.
• Supports patient safety standards using the correct Veterans Affairs identification of all patients using the approved protocols of patient identifiers.
• Uses each interaction with the patient to validate and update patient demographic information, either in person during check-in or over the phone, to decrease the incidence of returned mail due to incorrect addresses and inability to contact patient by phone due to incorrect number.
• Ensures that all necessary health/administrative information are integrated into the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) by sending the documents to scanning.
• Interprets and communicates requirements of VHA Scheduling Directives and complete accurate scheduling responsibilities: Schedule appointments and utilize the Electronic Waiting List accurately in a timely manner.
• Evaluates patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether patient is vested. Is astute to co-managed patients and brings attention to the provider of these shared patients.
• Notifies supervisor when clinic access is less than desirable or if an individual patient cannot be scheduled within mandated clinic timeframes.
• Daily review of active/pending consults, Electronic Wait List, Recall list and Audiocare communications for accuracy and disposition.
• Independently manages 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.
• Provides input for problem solving in team meetings.
• Between visits tasks may include telephone or secure messaging follow-up to see how the patient is doing, reinforcing the plan of care and encouraging self-help solutions.
• The pivotal part of the PACT Team is they monitor pre-appointment requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure (e.g., x-ray, lab work). Identifies incomplete encounter information and communicating findings to providers to facilitate accurate workload credit and revenue collection.
• Explains VA's mandate to collect insurance information to veterans. Collects, scans, and updates health insurance information serving a major role in the revenue process.
• The incumbent contributes to the revenue collection process by identifying patients with third party insurance.
• Performs receptionist duties, customer service and other duties assigned for the proper and timely treatment of patients and maintains appointment schedules for one or more outpatient clinics.
• Utilizes various reports from the MSA Supervisor, i.e. Clinic Utilization Statistical Summary, to ensure clinic setup is closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinic.
• The MSA Supervisor accepts recommendations for clinic adjustments by the Advanced MSA.
• Panel Management is an important function within the teamlet and is the responsibility of the Medical Support Assistant. The MSA uses various VHA databases (e.g., PCMM, Clinical Reminder Reports, VSSC, Proclarity, Wait times, patient satisfaction, etc.) to extract, categorize, and collate specific patient/provider metrics required to manage the chronic and preventive health care needs of the panel.
• Develops and maintains specific reports used by the team to monitor, track and trend care delivery as well as participating/leading quality improvement efforts focused on cost, access, quality and satisfaction.
• A critical role performed is the Patient Health Coach. Health coaching supports the VHA Patient Centered Medical Home model by improving patient experience and enhancing patient self-management skills by expanding face-to-face and non face-to-face encounters conducted by the MSA.

Work Schedule: 7:30 am - 4:00 pm

Telework: Not available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 52850-A

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements Conditions of Employment:

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• 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.
• Must pass a TB test.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• 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.

Qualifications:

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Experience: Must have six (6) 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: Have one (1) year of education above high school.
• OR, Combination of experience and education: Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.
• May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations:

• GS-6 Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, you must also have one year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 level.
• The specialized experience for this position includes the following, but not limited to:
• Performing a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting, advises clinical staff on administrative processes, scheduling appointments, monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources, verifying and updating demographics and insurance information, and coordinating administrative functions.
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. At this level, candidates must also demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Ability to collaborate and communicate with a wide range of medical clinicians across multiple disciplines (e.g. medical doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, clinical pharmacists, and nursing staff) to accomplish team goal setting to ensure medical care to patients is met. 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. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels, as well as resolving patient concerns. Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process (including, but not limited to, scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community models and patient health care portals) 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 to include, but not limited to appointment cycles, outside patient referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, provider availability, etc. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.