Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Lubbock (TX); On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

The US Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking an Advanced Medical Support Assistant (MSA) to support VHA Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) or Specialty Care teams. The role emphasizes coordination, scheduling, and communication with medical staff and patients to ensure smooth care delivery.

Responsibilities include prioritizing work, assisting with medical record workflows, and supporting efficient access to care through knowledge of care processes and clinical terminology.

Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship required; eligible to work in the United States.
• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Experience not required; advanced MS knowledge preferred in healthcare settings.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate care delivery across disciplines to ensure timely patient access.
• Manage scheduling and patient communications across portals and in person.
• Prepare reports and assist in documentation for internal/external customers.

Skills

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Prioritization and organization

Communication (written, oral)

Care access knowledge

Policy and procedure knowledge

Medical terminology

Education

High school diploma / GED

Tools

CPRS

Vista

Integrated Scheduling System (ISS)

Job description

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (MSA) is a highly specialized position and performs multiple duties. The incumbent may serve as a Clerk in VHA Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) or Specialty Care Support Team.

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.
• 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).
• 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
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.
• 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 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.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

1. 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.
2. ii. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
3. iii. Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing, 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. vi. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.

Preferred Experience.

• Experience working in a Mental Health or Behavorial health clinical setting.
• Experience using electronic health record and scheduling systems. Preferably CPRS, vistA and Integrated Scheduling System(ISS).
• Experience supporting interdisciplinary clinical teams in a high volume Mental/Behavorial Healthcare setting.
• Experience managing complex patient scheduling involving recurring appointments or specialized treatments programs.

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 and would generally not require a pre-placement examination.