Advanced Medical Support Assistant - Physical, Medicine and Rehab

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Minneapolis VA Health Care System is seeking a Medical Support Assistant (GS-06) to support the PM&R or Rehabilitation and Extended Care Department. The role focuses on scheduling, check-in, relaying messages, and coordinating information to ensure smooth patient flow.

Required are US citizenship, proficiency in English, and a High School Diploma or GED. No virtual work; standard Monday–Friday schedule; pre-employment exam may be required.

Qualifications

• US citizenship required; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• English proficiency in basic written and spoken English
• Education/Experience: Experience; No experience required
• Education: Must possess a High School Diploma - GED equivalency certificate or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education
• GS-06: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level; knowledge of administrative processes pertaining to medical clinics

Responsibilities

• Sets and adjusts short-term priorities
• Performs administrative functions to support clinic operations (receiving/relaying messages, directing patients, scheduling appointments, managing consults, maintaining supplies)
• Follows clinic scheduling rules (consultations, electronic wait lists, recalls, insurance capture)
• Communicates with internal/external customers and resolves patient concerns
• Participates in huddles and coordinates patient flow across inpatient and outpatient areas

Education

High School Diploma - GED equivalency certificate

Job description

Summary

The incumbent is either an integral part of a large Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) Department or the Rehabilitation and Extended Care Department within the Minneapolis VAHCS. This is a Complexity Level 1 Facility. The incumbent performs administrative support work in connection with the care and treatment given to patients in the Rec and/or PM&R Department.

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

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• English: Must be proficient in basic written and spoken English
• Education/Experience: Experience
• No experience required
• Education: Must possess a High School Diploma - General Education Development equivalency certificate - or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education
• Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements - you must meet the grade specific requirement: GS-06: Advanced Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level
• To be creditable - this experience must be equivalent to the next lower grade level - GS-05 - and demonstrate the knowledge - skills - and abilities associated with current MSA responsibilities
• Experience at this level includes - but is not limited to: Advising clinical staff on current administrative processes
• 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 - 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 patient's eligibility status (i.e. - TRICARE - sharing agreements - collaterals - research patient - VA employee - etc.)
• AND Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• Candidates must also demonstrate all of the KSAs below: 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
• 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)
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06
• Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position
• Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

Duties

• VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo Major Duties: Sets and adjusts short-term priorities
• Assures timely accomplishment of the workload
• Performs a variety of administrative functions which support clinic/program operations including but not limited receiving/relaying incoming and outgoing telephone messages - receiving and directing patients and visitors - answering routine inquiries - scheduling appointments - managing consults - and maintaining supplies
• Promotes team building and improves business practices
• Collects and compiles information as needed to carry out the work of the clinic - program or department
• Follows established clinic and appointment scheduling business rules including but not limited to consultations - scheduling - electronic wait lists - recall reminder - encounter action required reports - insurance capture - AudioCare - and missed opportunities
• Routinely and timely shares pertinent information
• Routinely accepts other ideas and integrates appropriate ones into practice
• Routinely uses email communication as well as verbal communication in an appropriate manner
• Refers all questions requiring immediate medical attention to appropriate health care team member
• Fields and resolves customer complaints
• Refers more serious unresolved complaints to a higher-level supervisor
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized