Medical Support Assistant

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Ann Arbor (MI); On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) position is based at the LTC Charles S. Kettles VA Medical Center within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

It involves performing administrative and clerical duties as a member of the healthcare team to support patient care services. Applicants may qualify at GS-3 to GS-5 levels; for GS-5, one year of experience or two years of higher education is required, with strong skills in scheduling, data entry, and customer service supporting patient care

Qualifications

• US citizenship required; non-citizens may be eligible only as allowed by VA policy.
• High school diploma, GED, or state/province proficiency credential.
• English language proficiency in speaking and writing per 38 USC 7403(f).
• For GS-5: one year of creditable experience or two years of education beyond high school.
• Grandfathering provision may apply to current VA employees in this occupation.

Responsibilities

• Provide a full range of administrative and clerical duties as part of the healthcare team.
• Schedule, reschedule, and cancel patient appointments and consults.
• Enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical information in electronic health records and scheduling systems.
• Assist with referrals to other clinics and patient inquiries to resolve issues.
• Support patient flow and maintain health records in a confidential manner.

Skills

Medical terminology

Customer service

Electronic health records

Scheduling appointments

Data entry

Communication

Education

High school diploma or GED

Two years education beyond high school

Tools

None

Job description

The incumbent serves as a Medical Support Assistant (MSA) to Patient Care Services for the LTC Charles S. Kettles VA Medical Center. The MSA performs a full range of administrative and clerical duties as a member of the healthcare team. 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.
• Education: High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoke and written English in accordance with 38 USC § 7403(f).

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

Medical Support Assistant, G S-3

Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements.

Medical Support Assistant, G S-4

Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade; OR Education. One (1) year of education above high school.

Medical Support Assistant, G S-5

Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade. Qualifying specialized experience includes: scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient's appointments and/or consults; interviewing patients for appointments; referring patients to other medical specialty clinics; providing information to patients necessary to resolve complaints; reviewing and documenting medical outpatient and inpatient health records; verifying third party insurance and updating information;

OR

Education. Two (2) years of education above high school.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

1. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.
2. Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution.
3. Ability to operate computerized programs and systems in order to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient identifying information (PII) into or from electronic health records, scheduling systems, and/or reports.
4. Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting.
5. Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work.
6. Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone, with internal and external customers.

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-5. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-5.

Interchange Agreement

Applicants must be eligible under the VA Interchange Agreement, having served continuously for at least one year in the other merit system under this interchange agreement. For more information regarding the VA Interchange Agreement please visit https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-authorities/competitive-hiring/.