Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Dover (DE); On-site; USD 48,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

The Wilmington VA Medical Center is recruiting for a Medical Support Assistant (Advanced). This position may serve in Care in the Community (CitC) or Health Administration Service (HAS). The role involves scheduling, data entry, and coordinating patient information to support clinical staff.

Work schedule is Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework is not available, and the role requires proficient English communication and attention to privacy rules for patient data.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent is required.
• English proficiency for spoken and written communication is required.
• GS-06 level typically requires one year of creditable experience.

Responsibilities

• Schedule appointments and tests; enter data and maintain patient records.
• Coordinate transfers of medical records between facilities and the VAMC.
• Verify demographics and insurance information; pre-register Veterans for visits.

Skills

Scheduling across care delivery

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Medical terminology

Communication skills (oral & written)

Education

High school diploma / GED

Job description

The Wilmington VA Medical Center is recruiting for Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) vacancies. The role may function in Care in the Community (CitC) or Health Administration Service (HAS).

Qualifications

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: None.
• Education: High school diploma, GED, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial Board/Department of Education.
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
• Grade Determinations: Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) – GS‑06. Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS‑5).
• 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.
• Responsible for answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages, scheduling appointments, interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.
• Other assignments include scheduling, canceling, re‑scheduling patient appointments/consults, entering no‑show information, monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources, participating in huddles with clinic staff, monitoring inpatient/outpatient appointments, verifying demographics and insurance information at check‑in, coordinating transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals, and determining appointment type based on patient eligibility status.
• Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary; some slight physical effort may be required.
• Ability to deal effectively with organizational change, role ambiguity, and the stresses of juggling many priorities and rapidly responding to unanticipated critical situations.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)

• Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process, including scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and care in the community models and patient portals, related to access to care.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and care in the community operational activities that affect patient flow and administrative functions such as appointment cycles, patient referrals, follow‑up care, overbooking, and provider availability.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate with a wide range of medical clinicians across multiple disciplines to accomplish team goal setting and ensure patient care.
• Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines while ensuring compliance with processes, policies, and regulations.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively—electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing—with internal and external customers.
• Ability to prepare reports and present data to various organizational levels and resolve patient concerns.

Duties

• Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) duties include but are not limited to Care in the Community (CitC) tasks such as typing, filing, data entry, and scheduling appointments and tests.
• Ensuring transfer of medical records from and to the VAMC and other facilities.
• Scheduling patients’ appointments and/or consults.
• Tracking patients’ appointment status in the community and maintaining spreadsheets to validate data tracking.
• Researching and maintaining an updated database of community medical services to assist Veterans with locating care in the community.
• Health Administration Service (HAS): screens/receives phone calls courteously and timely; determines nature of request; provides information using privacy rules and established clinic processes.
• Utilizes call lists and telephones Veterans to pre‑register them before scheduled visits.
• Collects and updates insurance information from Veterans, family members, and other eligible patients.
• Promotes Veterans registration for and utilization of MyHealthyVet (MHV).
• Communicates and interacts with patients in a manner appropriate to cognitive, emotional, and chronological maturation needs of adult and/or geriatric patients.
• Work Schedule: Monday‑Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Telework: Not available.
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
• Functional Statement #: 05668‑F / 05605‑F. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized.
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.