Advanced Medical Support Assistant

The Advanced MSA is responsible for scheduling appointments including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. Assignments at this level include but are not limited to: scheduling canceling rescheduling patients appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring the electronic wait list; preparing for clinic visits; monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments for areas of responsibility; ensuring action required encounters are printed to providers twice daily in order to obtain appropriate workload credit; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information; processing all emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals; performing basic eligibility co-pays and preauthorization requirements for specific coverage.

Duties include but are not limited to:

a. The incumbent serves in the Radiology Call Center receives incoming and making outgoing scheduling calls Radiology reception areas to coordinate care for patients receiving care at the BPVAHCS and other areas to include temporary telework for outgoing scheduling calls. Clinics and programs include the full range of services offered in Radiology Service.
b. Prepares daily section schedules when assigned preparing the hard-copy schedules and collecting orders for technologist utilization. Orders are organized for the day several assigned future dates and prepared according to patient preparation details such as assigned equipment and patient needs.
c. Secure and store assigned hard copy orders for future use in preparing he daily schedules for the assigned section.
d. The incumbent can deliver optimal customer service to the caller and other customers with little to no complaints. The incumbent can navigate the healthcare system to meet the needs of the caller with minimal transfers.
e. The incumbent is attentive and listens to the concerns and/or reason for the call and practices one call resolution. The incumbent is committed to resolve concerns with feedback and callbacks if necessary to the Veteran with the appropriate follow up.
f. The incumbent can interpret and apply Service Business Rules and VHA Scheduling Directive and service level scheduling guide. The incumbent is knowledgeable of negotiating the appointment appropriately documents read and interpret Radiology orders and consults providers plan of care and HAS ADT text orders to coordinate care.
g. Accepts and supports the guiding principles of this Healthcare System The incumbent displays excellent time management skills takes initiative and works to minimize delays in answering incoming calls. The incumbent actively engages to improve the Call Center process and efficiency.

VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8am-430pm with occasional Saturdays

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave 13 days of sick leave 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work experience or military service experience.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth adoption or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment full time employees with a total family income below $144000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Not authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 00000
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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 drivers licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the Required Documents section of this announcement.

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 Part II Chapter B3 Section A paragraph 3.g.).
• 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

• 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.