Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Eglin Air Force Base (FL); On-site; USD 42,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Gulf Coast Veterans Healthcare System (GCVHCS) in Biloxi, MS seeks a Medical Support Assistant (MSA) to provide administrative patient support within the Transfer Office, handling scheduling, message relay, and coordination across VA facilities.

This GS-06 full-performance role requires strong organizational skills, ability to communicate with clinical staff, and knowledge of VA scheduling guidelines; English proficiency required; no prior experience required.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Ability to schedule, verify demographics and insurance.

Responsibilities

• Answer phones and greet patients.
• Schedule, cancel, and reschedule patient appointments.
• Enter demographics and verify insurance information.
• Coordinate transfers to other VA facilities and clinics.

Skills

Team collaboration

Communication skills

Prioritization

Medical terminology

Education

High school diploma

Job description

The Advanced MSA provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model within the Transfer Office at Gulf Coast Veterans Healthcare System (GCVHCS), Biloxi, MS. The work involves specialized administrative judgment and the flexible use of a wide range of administrative flow processes relating to access to care across multiple facilities, specialties, and community resources. 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. 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.
• Licensure/Certification/Registration. None,
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• 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 Determinations

In addition to the basic requirements for employment listed in paragraph 3 above, the following education and experience criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:

GS-06:Experience

One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level.

GS-5 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 healthcare 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 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 7 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.).

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:

• i. 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.
• ii. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
• iii. Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, electronically, by phone, in person], and inwriting, with internal and external customers. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels, as well as resolving patient concerns.
• iv. 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.
• v. 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.vi. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology.

Preferred Experience

Strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize and manage multiple, complex patient care plans. Ability to adapt to changing work assignments as needed to meet facility needs.

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

Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, pulling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.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).