Medical Support Assistant

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Coatesville (Chester County); On-site; USD 34,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at the Coatesville VA Medical Center is seeking a Medical Support Assistant (MSA) to support physicians, nurses, and other clinical staff. The MSA performs a variety of technical tasks to facilitate patient care and clinic operations, including data entry, scheduling, and front-desk support.

Basic requirements include U.S. citizenship, English proficiency, and a high school diploma or GED.

Qualifications

• United States citizenship is required; non-citizens may be referred only under VA policy.
• English language proficiency in speaking and writing is required.
• No prior work experience is required.
• Education must be a High School Diploma, GED, or state/provincial proficiency certificate.
• Grandfathering Provision may apply to current VA employees in this occupation.

Responsibilities

• Perform a variety of technical support duties to assist clinicians and staff.
• Enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive patient information in EHRs and scheduling systems.
• Schedule medical appointments and support clinic operations.
• Communicate effectively with patients and internal staff, in person or remotely.
• Handle confidential information ensuring privacy and compliance with policy.

Skills

Customer service

Communication skills

Scheduling appointments

EHR proficiency

Attention to detail

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Job description

This position is in Health Administration Service (HAS) at the Coatesville VA Medical Center. The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) 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. 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 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.
• Experience: No experience required.
• Education: High School Diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.

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 for employment listed above, the following education and experience criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:

Medical Support Assistant, GS-5:

• Experience or Education:
  • Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level; OR,
  • Education: Two years of education above high school.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
  • 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.
  • Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.
  • Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting.
  • Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work.
  • Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone, with internal and external customers.
  • Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution.

Creditable Experience:

To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with current MSA responsibilities or an equivalent administrative patient support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid or non-paid employment as an MSA or an equivalent position in a non-VA hospital or clinic setting.

Preferred Experience:

Providing exceptional customer service to veterans, answering telephone, communication with healthcare providers, veterans, and managing multiple task in a fast pace environment.

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.

Physical Requirements:

You may be asked to participate in a pre-employment 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.