Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: Advanced Medical Support Assistant provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. Work involves specialized administrative judgment and the flexible use of a wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across the Community Care interdisciplinary team model. Some of the major duties of this position include and are not limited to:

• Answering phones communicating and relaying messages and information to Veterans to appropriate staff inside or outside of the VA.
• Ensuring accurate and timely scheduling canceling re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines to include changes in policies and procedures.
• Processes patient and vendor issues through Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) and coordinates with appropriate entities.
• Monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; tracking patients appointment status in the community and maintaining spreadsheets to validate data tracking making follow-up (post-care) calls on a daily basis completing electronic forms for authorization of community medical care by the VA.
• Researching and maintaining an updated data base of community medical services to assist Veterans with locating medical care in the community.
• 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.).
• Recommends process improvements to existing Care in the Community procedures based on current administrative guidelines.
• Coordinates with the patient care team schedule and closely monitors to effectively support the needs of Veterans and makes adjustments as necessary.
• Develop and/or maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model teams VA medical centers and other agencies.
• Processes incoming patient secure messaging through MyHealthyVet 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.
• Enters appropriate information into the electronic record; monitors consults pre-appointment information and/or requirements to assure appointment readiness for patient visit/procedure; ensuring transfer of medical records from and to the VAMC and other facilities ensuring health care delivery.
• Manages patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues; evaluates patient information and determines whether the patient requires an immediate appointment; informs team members about shared patients.

• 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 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.

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 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.
• 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.
• 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: In addition to the basic requirements you must meet the specialized experience for the grade.
• Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. Experience includes but is not limited to: answering phones greeting patients relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit; scheduling canceling re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines; 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; 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.). AND
• Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
  1. 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.
  2. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines ensuring compliance with established processes policies and regulations.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.