Medical Support Assistant

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Memphis (TN); On-site; USD 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Memphis VA Medical Center, is seeking a Medical Support Assistant to support the Inpatient Ward, Emergency Room, and Call Center. The role involves administering patient information, scheduling appointments, and coordinating care within the Business Office.

The incumbent works as part of an integrated team, ensuring day-to-day administrative operations run smoothly across units. Emphasis on accurate documentation and patient communication is essential.

Qualifications

• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology to understand diagnoses and procedures.
• Strong customer service skills to resolve concerns and guide patients.
• Ability to operate computerized systems to enter and retrieve sensitive information (PII).
• Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting.
• Ability to work independently across a wide range of duties.
• Clear, professional communication with internal and external customers.

Responsibilities

• Schedule and coordinate patient appointments for multiple departments.
• Interview patients to gather information and clarify needs.
• Assist with data entry and management of electronic health records and scheduling systems.
• Provide information to patients and refer to appropriate staff as needed.
• Support inpatient and outpatient services, ER, and call center operations.

Skills

Medical terminology

Customer service

Computerized records

Scheduling appointments

Independent work

Professional communication

Education

Two years of education beyond high school

Job description

The incumbent serves as a Medical Support Assistant in the Business Office for the Memphis VA Medical Center and will provide support to the Inpatient Ward, Emergency Room, Baggage Claims, Environmental Care and Call Center. These positions are part of an integral team used to carry out the day-to-day administrative operations of the assigned location.

Please include full-time/part-time status or number of hours worked for each position listed on resume. 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

• 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. 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.
• 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).

GS-05 - Grade Determination

• Experience. To qualify at this level, candidates must have: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-4 grade level. Examples of credible experience at this level include, but are not limited to: scheduling and rescheduling patients for treatment; interviewing patients for appointments; referring patients to other medical specialty clinics; providing information to patients necessary to resolve policy complaints; interacting with both internal and external customers; reviewing and documenting medical outpatient and inpatient electronic health records, as well as administrative records; verifying third party insurance and updating information in web-based applications to collect and verify insurance data; obtaining medical information from patients; coordinating information and actions related to patient care and services; and scheduling appointments in accordance with national scheduling guidelines.

• Education. Two years of education above high school.

• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
  • Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.
  • Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Note

You must provide detailed information of your experience performed. Information such as "I was a Medical Support Assistant" is insufficient to determine your qualifications. Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hour worked per week.

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 GS-05.

Physical Requirements

The work is mainly sedentary but requires some bending, walking, standing and the carrying of such things as patient records, supplies and inter-office mail. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.