Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; East Orange (NJ); On-site; USD 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Federal benefits

Paid parental leave

Public employee retirement

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a Medical Support Assistant to support patient care in a clinic setting.

The Advanced MSA coordinates with the patient care team, reviews clinic utilization, and maintains effective communication with patients, caregivers, interdisciplinary teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies. The role involves handling administrative duties, scheduling, and coordinating with a broad network to ensure timely access to care in inpatient or outpatient

Responsibilities

• Answering phones and greeting patients and caregivers
• Schedule, cancel, and reschedule appointments and consultations
• Relay messages within and outside the unit
• Review and document patient information and orders in the electronic records
• Coordinate with interdisciplinary teams and VA facilities to ensure care continuity
• Assist with patient communications and follow-up care planning

Job description

The Advanced MSA coordinates with the patient care team to review the clinic utilization by using various reports, ensures that the clinic setup is closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinic and makes any necessary adjustments. The employee develops/maintains effective and efficient communication with patients and/or caregivers, interdisciplinary team, VA medical centers, and other agencies.

Duties

VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant:

https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. Independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting.

• Advises clinical staff on current administrative processes. Responsible for answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit, scheduling appointments, including interpreting, and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.
• Utilizes specialized administrative judgment and flexibility in the use of a wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and/or care in the community resources. Recommends changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative 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; interviewing patients for appointments; referring patients to other medical specialty clinics; providing information to patients necessary to resolve 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 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.
• 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.).
• Coordinates with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability/utilization to ensure that clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics and adjusts as necessary.
• Develops and/or maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies (e.g., assist with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge; communicate with non-VA medical facilities; prepare correspondence to notify patients of normal lab results; manage a system for follow-up care such as consults, tests, etc.).
• Processes incoming patient secure messaging through MyHealtheVet and coordinates with care team as appropriate.
• Identifies incomplete encounters and communicates findings to providers. As needed, assists the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions. Enters appropriate information into the electronic record; monitors pre-appointment information and/or requirements to assure readiness for patient visiVprocedure.
• Manages patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues.
• Manage Consults, Recall Reminders and Return to Clinic orders for assigned teamleVteam.
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule

Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.

Pay

Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).

Paid Time Off

37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year). Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.

Parental Leave

After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Child Care Subsidy

After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66

Retirement

Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA

Insurance

Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

Virtual

This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #

12447F