Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Honolulu (HI); On-site; USD 42,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

US Department of Veterans Affairs in Hawaii seeks a dedicated coordinator to manage clinic cancellations, appointment scheduling, and related patient care processes. Responsibilities include arranging special studies, discharges, consult tracking, and ensuring accurate documentation; plus coordinating transportation for patients and relaying test results to appropriate staff.

Applicants must meet basic federal requirements: U.S.

Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship required; non-citizens may be appointed under 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• Experience: None; one year of experience equivalent to GS-5 is required.
• Education: High School diploma, GED, and a proficiency certificate issued by a state/territorial Board or Department of Education.
• English proficiency: Proficient in spoken and written English.
• Grandfathering provision may apply for current VA employees in this occupation.
• Foreign education: if earned outside the U.S., must be evaluated for equivalence by a private organization.
• Grade determination focuses on one year of experience equivalent to GS-5.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate clinic cancellations and scheduling, including appointment changes.
• Arrange for special studies and inpatient discharges.
• Oversee appointment check-ins/check-outs and consult tracking.
• Verify orders and ensure documentation completeness.
• Coordinate transportation and relay medical test results to staff for action.

Skills

Care coordination

Scheduling

Medical terminology

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Prioritization

Communication

Education

High School diploma

GED equivalency

State/province proficiency certificate

Job description

You will be responsible for the overall coordination of clinic cancellations, clinic schedules to include appointment scheduling and changes, arrangements for special studies, inpatient discharges, appointment check ins/check outs, consult tracking, verification of doctor's/treatment orders, completeness and accuracy of all actions/documentation, making transportation arrangements for patients, and relay medical test results to appropriate professional medical staff for immediate action. 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

1. A. United States Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
2. B. Experience: None
3. C. Education.
   • High School diploma
   • General Education Development equivalency certificate
   • Proficiency Certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education
4. D. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
5. E. Grandfathering Provision. 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).
6. F. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs.
7. G. Grade Determination: Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• i. 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.
• ii. 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.
• iii. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.
• iv. 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.
• v. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
• vi. Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing, with internal and external customers.

References

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. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range is GS-06.

Physical Requirements

See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.