Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Bedford Springs (MA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

VA Bedford Health Care System in Bedford, MA is seeking Medical Support Assistants (Advanced) to join our team. These positions support multiple healthcare service lines, with day shifts and potential evenings, nights, weekends/holidays to cover shortages or high patient volume.

The work includes coordinating care, handling scheduling, and assisting clinical staff in a fast-paced environment. Candidates must meet basic VA requirements, including U.S.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent is required.
• No experience required for entry-grade MSAs.
• Must be able to communicate in English for direct patient care.
• U.S. citizenship required with VA allowances for certain exceptions.
• Grandfathering provisions apply for current VHA MSAs.

Responsibilities

• Provide medical support assistance across service lines.
• Assist in scheduling and coordinating care across disciplines.
• Maintain patient flow and support administrative duties.

Skills

Advanced health care process knowledge

Care coordination across disciplines

Patient flow optimization

Medical terminology

Interpersonal communication

Prioritization and organization

Written and verbal communication

Education

High school diploma / GED

Job description

These positions fall under various healthcare service lines within VA Bedford Health Care System.

Most shifts are scheduled during the day but some shifts may be evenings, nights, and include weekends/holidays.

Medical Support Assistants (Advanced) may work tours other than their regular scheduled tour, including working evenings, nights, weekends/holidays to cover shortages or high patient volume. Shift changes will be considered based on patient and facility needs.

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. High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
• Experience. No experience required
• English Language Proficiency. Medical Support Assistants appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English.
• Grandfathering Provision. All MSAs employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, which are a part of the basic requirements for the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:(1) Such employees may be reassigned, promoted or changed to a lower grade within the occupation.(2) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of this standard.(3) If an employee was converted to Title 38 hybrid status under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

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 (Advanced), GS-06:

• Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.
  • AND,
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  1. Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process (including, but not limited to, scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community models and patient health care portals) as it relates to access to care.
  2. Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community operational activities that affect patient flow, and patient support care administrative functions to include, but not limited to appointment cycles, outside patient referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, provider availability, etc.
  3. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.
  4. Ability to collaborate and communicate with a wide range of medical clinicians across multiple disciplines (e.g., medical doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, clinical pharmacists, and nursing staff) to accomplish team goal setting to ensure medical care to patients is met.
  5. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
  6. Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing, with internal and external customers.
  7. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels, as well as resolving patient concerns.

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-06.

Physical Requirements: The work requires some physical exertion such as prolonged periods of standing, bending, reaching, crouching, stooping, stretching, and lifting moderately heavy items such as papers, books, manuals, record boxes and boxes of computer paper. Computers are used and therefore keyboarding is required. The work includes walking from area to area when covering for other employees. Applicant may at times be exposed to stressful situations with Veterans.