Medical Support Assistant

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Columbia Township (MO); On-site; USD 32,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

US Department of Veterans Affairs is hiring for entry to mid-level patient support roles in the healthcare system. The incumbent will handle basic patient communications, triage messages, and assist clinical staff under supervision.

Qualifications include a high school diploma or GED, plus education beyond high school. Demonstrated knowledge of medical terminology and strong interpersonal skills are essential for supporting care teams and patients.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of basic medical terminology to assist in the provision of care to patients.
• Skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care in internal or external clinics.
• 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.
• Ability to use, and navigate between, various types of office automation equipment and software to support patient care.

Skills

Medical terminology

Patient communication

Office equipment & software

Interpersonal skills

Education

High school diploma / GED

One year of education above high school

Two years of education above high school

Job description

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

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: Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• 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.
• Licensure/Certification/Registration. None
• Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 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

GS-3 Grade Level

Experience or Education.

None beyond the basic Requirement.

GS-4 Grade Level

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.

AND

Demonstrate the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) in addition to the experience or education above:

• (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.

GS-5 Grade Level

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.

AND

Demonstrate the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) in addition to the experience or education above:

• (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.

Preferred Experience:

None

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 in the range of GS-3 to GS-5.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.