Medical Support Assistant

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Youngstown (OH); On-site; USD 38,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System seeks a Medical Support Assistant for the Community Outpatient Service at the Youngstown VA Clinic. The MSA provides clerical and technical support to physicians, nurses, and other clinical staff, helping ensure smooth patient flow and care delivery.

Key duties include entering and retrieving patient information in electronic health records, scheduling appointments, processing medical charts, and coordinating between departments.

Qualifications

• United States citizenship requirement; may be eligible under grandfathering provisions.
• One year of education beyond high school or equivalent combination of experience and education.
• Proficiency in English, both spoken and written.

Responsibilities

• Enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical information in electronic health records and scheduling systems.
• Schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting and coordinate patient flow.
• Maintain medical charts and administrative records for outpatient care.
• Support physicians, nurses, and other staff in daily patient care tasks.
• Communicate professionally with internal and external customers to resolve issues.

Skills

Enter/modify PII in EHR

Medical terminology

Appointment scheduling

Patient support

Professional communication

Customer service

Education

One year education beyond high school

Equivalent combination of experience & education

Job description

The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is recruiting for a Medical Support Assistant that will function within Community Outpatient Service at the Youngstown Oh VA Clinic. The MSA is responsible for performing a variety of technical support duties that facilitate the work of physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nursing assistants, and other members of the medical facility who provide direct patient care. The MSA performs clerical work in support of the care and treatment given to patients. 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.
• Education. One year above high school OR,
• Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.
• 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 3j.

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 Determination

GS-5 (Full Performance Level)Experience or Education: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level or 4 years of education above high school. Assignments at the GS-4 level include but are not limited to: interacting with both internal and external customers; establishing and maintaining medical outpatient and inpatient charts as well as administrative records; verifying third party insurance and updating information in the Insurance Capture Buffer (ICB) system; obtaining medical information from patients; coordinating information and actions related to patient care and services; and scheduling appointments in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs)

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 medicaldiagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions topatients.
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-05.

Physical Requirements

Work is primarily sedentary. Some walking between buildings to other offices carrying/lifting small and/or lightweight items. Work involves working with computers and office equipment. Long periods of sitting and telephone calling.