Medical Support Assistant

Veterans Health Administration; Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Cincinnati VA Medical Center is seeking a Medical Support Assistant to support physicians, nurses, and staff across the Call Center, Urgent Care, and interdisciplinary care teams. The role includes front desk duties, scheduling, and patient data management.

The position is entry-level, with guidance from experienced staff and supervision. Applicants must meet basic requirements and there is room for development within VA standards.

Qualifications

• Basic medical terminology knowledge to support patient care.
• Ability to record patient messages and relay physician follow-up requests.
• Ability to operate office equipment and scheduling/record systems.

Responsibilities

• Perform front desk duties, greet visitors, and answer calls.
• Schedule, reschedule, and manage patient appointments.
• Review patient records for demographics and insurance information.
• Consult with clinic staff when processing physician scheduling and orders.

Skills

Medical terminology

Customer service

Communication

Data entry

Scheduling

Independence

Front desk/phone etiquette

Education

High school diploma / GED

Two years of education above high school

Tools

Office automation software

Electronic health records (EHR)

Job description

The Cincinnati VA Medical Center is looking for a Medical Support Assistant who is responsible for performing a variety of technical support duties that facilitate the work of physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nursing assistants, and other members of the medical facility who provide direct patient care. The employee may work in the Call Center, Urgent Care, or in an interdisciplinary care team within a primary care team or specialty clinic on an infrequent basis.

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. Experience. None. Education. High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education. Licensure/Certification/Registration. None. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. 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: a. Medical Support Assistant, GS-03. (1) Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements. (2) Assignment. Employees at this grade level serve in a MSA entry-level developmental position. This is an entry level MSA position. It is expected that MSAs at this level will receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision. At this level, MSAs apply general rules and policies relating to clinic functions, staff, and automated data processing methods in support of treatment to patients. They utilize a variety of patient data systems in scheduling patients for treatment and annotate patient records. They perform front desk duties, receive telephone call, and visitors to the MSA unit. They make and cancel appointments, review patient records for necessary information, and review patient demographics and insurance verification. They consult with clinic staff when processing physician scheduling and administrative orders. b. Medical Support Assistant, GS-04. (1) Experience or Education. (a) Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.; OR (b) Education. One year of education above high school. (2) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of basic medical terminology to assist in the provision of care to patients. (b) Skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care in internal or external clinics. (c) Ability to meet, communicate, and interact with individuals from varying backgrounds and other health care team members in a courteous and helpful manner in order to facilitate medical care for patients. (d) Ability to use, and navigate between, various types of office automation equipment and software (i.e., computer systems, web-based scheduling programs; insurance collection system; scanning software, multiple line phone systems; electronic faxing programs) to support patient care. c. Medical Support Assistant, GS-05. (1) Experience or Education. (a) Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade; OR (b) Education. Two years of education above high school. (2) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients. (b) Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution. (c) 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. (d) Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting. (e) Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work. (f) Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone, with internal and external customers. (3) Assignment. This is the full performance level for MSAs. At this level, the MSA independently perfo