Medical Support Assistant

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Jackson (MS); On-site; USD 32,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

US Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a Medical Support Assistant to support inpatient care. The role includes scheduling patient appointments, interpreting and verifying provider orders, and coordinating care within the clinical team.

The MSA will perform clerical support in an inpatient ward, ensuring accurate records, efficient communication, and adherence to VA scheduling guidelines while facilitating patient flow and care delivery.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• No experience required.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Ability to interpret provider orders and schedule in clinical settings.
• Familiarity with standard office equipment and scheduling software.

Responsibilities

• Schedule patient appointments and verify provider orders.
• Support inpatient ward administrative tasks and patient care workflows.
• Manage patient messages and coordinate with health care teams.
• Operate office equipment and maintain patient records and communications.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Medical terminology

Interpersonal skills

Multitasking

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

Office software suites

Scheduling systems

Electronic Health Records

Job description

This Medical Support Assistant (MSA) position serves as an inpatient MSA and performs clerical support as part of the clinical treatment for patients in an inpatient ward or other long or short-term unit of the medical facility. The MSA is responsible for scheduling appointments, including interpreting, and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.

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. 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
• 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-03: Entry Level:

Experience or Education: None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-04: Developmental

Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.

OR,

Education. One year of education above high school.

AND,

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Knowledge of basic medical terminology to assist in the provision of care to patients.
4. Skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care in internal or external clinics.

GS-05: Full Performance Experience

Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.

OR,

Education. Two years of education above high school.

AND,

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must 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.

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-05. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-03 to GS-05.

Physical Requirements:

Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, puling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.

Work Environment:

Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.