Medical Support Assistant

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Gary (IN); Remote; USD 35,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Federal health benefits

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a Medical Support Assistant (MSA) to support VISN 23 VA Health Connect, coordinating scheduling and referrals while interacting with Veterans and clinical staff. This remote role emphasizes accuracy in patient data and timely appointment management.

The position requires adherence to national scheduling guidelines, knowledge of medical terminology, and strong customer service skills to ensure efficient Veteran care across clinics and services.

Qualifications

• Experience with patient scheduling and appointment coordination.
• Ability to navigate office automation and scheduling software.
• Knowledge of basic medical terminology.

Responsibilities

• Schedule, cancel, and reschedule patient appointments.
• Enter no-show information and update demographics.
• Assist with patient communication and follow-up.
• Process medication refill requests and review EHR.

Skills

MSA Practices

Customer service

Office software

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

Scheduling systems

Electronic health records

Phone systems

Job description

Summary

The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) serves in the VISN 23 VA Health Connect - formerly known as the Clinical Contact Center (CCC). The MSA is responsible for VISN wide scheduling and rescheduling of appointments in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines - referring patients to other medical specialty clinics - interacting with both internal and external customers - and coordinating information related to patient care and services.

Summary

The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) serves in the VISN 23 VA Health Connect - formerly known as the Clinical Contact Center (CCC). The MSA is responsible for VISN wide scheduling and rescheduling of appointments in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines - referring patients to other medical specialty clinics - interacting with both internal and external customers - and coordinating information related to patient care and services.

Qualifications

• KSA Recommendation - All qualifying experience you possess must be clearly described in your application package. We will not make assumptions when reviewing applications. Failure to demonstrate your experience and knowledge - skills - and abilities (KSAs) in your application may result in disqualification. It is strongly recommended that you write to each KSA (found below) to demonstrate how you have gained each one in your application package or on a supplemental document*** Creditable Experience: Knowledge of MSA Practices. To be creditable - the experience must have demonstrated the 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/non-paid employment as [an] MSA or [an equivalent position in a non-VA hospital or clinic setting].

Basic Requirements

• 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 Foreign Education
• To be creditable - education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs
• Physical Requirements
• See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Service for 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-5 MSA (Full Performance Level) 1
• Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-4 grade level - which includes - but not limited to 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 (i.e
• computer systems - web based scheduling programs
• insurance collection system
• scanning software - multiple line phone systems
• electronic faxing programs) to support patient care
• 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
• AND Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• Candidates must be able to demonstrate all of the KSAs below: 1
• 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
• 2
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients
• 3
• Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting
• 4
• Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work
• 5
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person - electronically - and/or by telephone - with internal and external customers
• 6
• Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns - and refer to the appropriate staff as necessary - to ensure a satisfactory resolution
• 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 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

• Announcement will close once 50 applicants is reached Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Major duties include but are not limited to: Independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in a VISN CCC Advises clinical staff on current administrative processes Works collaboratively with CCC team in resolution or direction of calls via various available contact modalities Schedules - cancels - reschedules patient appointments and/or consults Enters no-show information Monitors appointment requests from multiple electronic sources Gathers and obtains medical information from patients Processes medication refill requests Reviews electronic health records Participates in huddles (with cameras on) with other MSAs and/or VISN CCC staff to determine the daily needs of the VISN CCC Monitors outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility Verifies and updates demographic when contacted by patients Ensures Veteran appointment scheduling is efficient - operational and prioritized to maintain Veteran flow and clinic readiness Utilizes various software - hardware system products and data portals to transfer and capture information electronically for the support of the daily operation of the unit Operates within the various contact modalities to receive and respond to incoming and outgoing contacts using computerized interfaces and telecommunications hardware and software Provides accurate details of organizational information to Veterans regarding the different services the VA offers Provides high quality customer service to Veterans and their families/caregivers Communicates tactfully and effectively to all customers Work Schedule: The VISN 23 Clinical Contact Center team has openings for various shifts 7 am - 7 pm CST - Monday to Friday
• Some holiday shifts are required
• Shift preference will be assigned based on shift availability at the time of selection and discussed during the interview process
• Telework: Not applicable - this is a remote position
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
• Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
• Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment - up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth - adoption - or foster care placement of a child
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment - full time employees with a total family income below $144 -000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
• Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement).