Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Major duties include but are not limited to:

• The work includes functions such as serving as an initial point of contact for the units clinics patient call centers interdisciplinary teams to include but not limited to scheduling patient appointments tracking reviewing and responding to electronic orders consults and other elements in the electronic medical record and medical systems.
• This series includes work that requires a practical knowledge of computerized data entry information processing systems and software related to patient care the healthcare systems organization and services basic rules and regulations governing visitors and patient treatment knowledge of standard procedures utilizing medical records and medical terminology.
• The Advanced MSA provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in or in support of an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model.
• Processes incoming patient secure messaging through secure messaging portal and coordinates with care team as appropriate; participates in team huddles and team meetings to manage plan problem solve and follow-up with patient care by sharing information and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team; setting priorities and deadlines adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs; identifies incomplete encounters and communicates findings to providers; as needed; assists the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions; enters appropriate information into the electronic record; monitors pre-appointment information and/or requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure; manages patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues; evaluates patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether the patient requires an immediate appointment; informs team members about shared patients i.e. those who receive their care at multiple VA centers or those who receive care in the community.
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 7:00am to 3:30pm
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives Not available.
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized.
Telework: Not available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 37141-F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

• 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 drivers 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 pre-employment physical evaluation/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.

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 determining if your employment advances the public interest we may consider:

• 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.

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.

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.
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).

Experience:

• One year of credible experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level which includes but not limited to: scheduling canceling re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; participating in huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when patients check-in for appointments. Coordinates administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals and determines appointment type based on the patients eligibility status (i.e. TRICARE sharing agreements collaterals research patient VA employee etc.).

Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

• 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.
• 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.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit Requirements: The work is generally primarily sedentary. Physical demands do not exceed those of a typical office setting. There may be some walking standing twisting turning sitting pushing bending frequent keyboard usage and carrying of light items. Some positions may require sitting for long periods of time at a computer terminal typing data while talking on a telephone addition there can be increased stress due to the intensity of a patient/customer complaint or concern.