Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 42,000 - 61,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off

Federal benefits

Retirement plan

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking Advanced Medical Support Assistants for Ward Administration - Business Office in Nashville.

The role involves performing administrative tasks, coordinating patient appointments, and acting as a liaison among nursing staff, clinicians, and patients. Responsibilities include inpatient ward operations, bed management, and ensuring accurate demographics/insurance details.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED or proficiency certificate.
• Experience as a medical support assistant or call center experience preferred.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology and patient flow processes.

Responsibilities

• Schedule and coordinate patient appointments and transfers.
• Maintain Bed Control and patient movement in VISTA.
• Handle multiple phone lines and route calls to staff.
• Produce reports and communicate with patients and teams.
• Train new MSAs on ward operations and serve as a preceptor.

Skills

Scheduling appointments

Medical terminology

Interdisciplinary coordination

Patient communication

Data reporting

Phone handling

Documentation

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

VISTA Bed Management

CPRS

Electronic health records

Job description

Job Summary

Advanced Medical Support Assistants assigned to Ward Administration - Business Office at grade GS‑6 are responsible for performing a variety of administrative and clerical duties and act as the liaison between nursing staff, social workers, clinics/labs/OR, physicians in their assigned area, and customers both internal and external to the medical center.

Basic Requirements

• 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
  • None
• Education
  • High school diploma or GED, or a proficiency certificate from a state or territorial Board or Department of Education
• Licensure/Certification/Registration
  • None
• Physical 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)
• Other Qualifications
  • May qualify under the Grandfathering Provision described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (applicable only to current VHA employees who meet the criteria)

Grade Determinations

• In order to qualify at this level, candidates must have at least one year of experience equivalent to the GS‑5 grade level.
• Examples of credible experience include:
  • Scheduling, canceling, and 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 clinic staff to determine daily needs of the clinic
  • Monitoring inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility
  • Verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when patients check in
  • Coordinating administrative functions for emergency and non‑emergency transfers to other facilities or private hospitals
  • Determining appointment type based on patient eligibility status
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)
  • Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process, including scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community models and patient health care portals.
  • Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and patient flow, including appointment cycles, 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.
  • Ability to set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines while ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
  • Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively in writing, by phone, electronically, and in person with internal and external customers.
  • Ability to prepare reports and present data at various organizational levels, and resolve patient concerns.
• Preferred Experience
  • Previous experience as a medical support assistant in a call center or performing administrative health care functions.

Duties

• Total Rewards of an Allied Health Professional – Three vacancies with options for day or evening shift with rotating weekends.
• Day Shift – 7:00 am – 3:30 pm, rotating weekends.
• Evening Shift – 3:00 pm – 11:30 pm, rotating weekends.
• Work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery environment.
• Utilize Bed Control Menu in VISTA to perform patient movements.
• Handle multiple phone lines in an inpatient care setting and forward calls to the correct staff.
• Develop and maintain effective communication with patients, interdisciplinary team, management, VA medical centers, and other agencies.
• Perform administrative duties on inpatient wards, including chart creation, ordering supplies, and updating the Bed Management System.
• Train other MSAs on correct inpatient ward operations and serve as a preceptor to developmental MSAs.
• Schedule appointments and notify supervisors when clinic area access is less than desirable.
• Process physician orders from CPRS and verify orders upon completion.
• Complete discharge and transfer packets for patients being discharged or transferred to another facility.
• Organize work independently and handle administrative and scheduling problems based on personal knowledge of inpatient ward operations and policy.
• Work Environment – The work may be stressful during peak clinic hours or days with a large volume of activity.
• Physical Requirements – Primarily sedentary work with occasional walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items.

Benefits

• Competitive salary with regular increases.
• Paid Time Off – 37–50 days per year (13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays).
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service experience.
• Parental Leave – Up to 12 weeks of paid leave after 12 months of employment for birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
• Child Care Subsidy – After 60 days of employment, full‑time employees with total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a subsidy up to 25% of eligible childcare costs, capped at $416.66 per month.
• Retirement – Traditional federal pension (5‑year vesting) and federal 401(k) with up to 5% employer contribution.
• Health, vision, dental, term life, long‑term care – Covered by federal insurance programs which can be carried into retirement.
• Telework – Not available. Virtual – This is not a virtual position.