Medical Support Assistant

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Perry Point (MD); On-site; USD 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

US Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a Medical Support Assistant (MSA) at the GS-5 level to provide essential administrative support in an inpatient/outpatient health care setting. The role includes answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages, and coordinating scheduling in accordance with VA guidelines.

The MSA will also verify orders, update patient information, and manage demographics and insurance data within electronic health records.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED or proficiency certificate.
• One year of creditable experience or two years of education above high school.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Ability to schedule appointments according to scheduling guidelines.
• Knowledge of medical terminology.

Responsibilities

• Answer phones and greet patients.
• Relay messages to staff and schedule appointments.
• Verify provider orders and update patient information.
• Enter demographics and insurance data into EHR system.
• Coordinate administrative transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals.
• Participate in clinic huddles to determine daily needs.

Skills

Medical terminology

Customer service

Electronic health records

Appointment scheduling

Independence at work

Professional communication

Education

High school diploma

Two years of education beyond high school

Tools

EHR systems

Scheduling software

Job description

The purpose of the position is to serve as an Medical Support Assistant, also known as Inpatient Ward Clerk in Health Administration Service. The incumbent is responsible for a wide range of assignments and provides administrative support to the section.

Basic Requirements

Citizenship

Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.g.).

Experience and Education

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. (SEE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION UNDER EDUCATION SECTION)

Certification

None required.

Grandfathering Provision

See under Education Section.

Foreign Education.

See under Education Section.

Physical Requirements. See under Education Section.

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.

GRADE REQUIREMENTS: See information under Education Section.

Grade Determinations:

In addition to the basic requirements for employment, candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for placement at grade levels specified.

Medical Support Assistant, GS-05.

Experience or Education.

Experience.

One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-04). Examples of creditable experience include but are not limited to: interviewing patients for appointments; referring patients to other medical specialty clinics; reviewing and documenting medical outpatient and inpatient electronic health records, as well as administrative records; verifying third party insurance and updating information in the Insurance Capture Buffer (ICB) system; obtaining medical information from patients; and scheduling appointments in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.

OR

Education.

Two years of education above high school.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

• (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.

Assignment

This is the full performance level for MSAs. At this level, the MSA independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of health care services in an inpatient or outpatient setting. Advises clinical staff on current administrative processes. The MSA is responsible for answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit, and scheduling appointments, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; participating in huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic, monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when patients check-in for appointments. Coordinates administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals and determines appointment type based on the patient's eligibility status (i.e., TRICARE, sharing agreements, collaterals, research patient, VA employee, etc.).

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 GS-5.