Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Norristown (Montgomery County); On-site; USD 42,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant role at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs supports the Scheduling Section and collaborates with the Patient Aligned Care Team to coordinate patient care. The position emphasizes scheduling, data entry, and communication across clinicians and departments.

Applicants may be referred while meeting basic requirements; no experience is mandatory, but demonstrated KSAs and familiarity with scheduling systems enhance candidacy.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• One year of relevant scheduling/administrative experience.
• Ability to collaborate with clinicians across multiple disciplines.
• Knowledge of medical terminology and care delivery processes.
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing, by phone, and in person.

Skills

Collaboration across disciplines

Prioritization & organization

Effective communication

Interdisciplinary care knowledge

Medical terminology

Scheduling-related processes

Education

High School Diploma / GED

Tools

Scheduling software

Job description

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant serves in interchangeable roles within the Scheduling Section in support of and in conjunction with Patient Aligned Care Team delivery method of care. The Advanced MSA works collaboratively with all members of an expanded health care team including Primary Care Providers, Nurse Case managers, Social Workers, Dieticians, Mental Health staff and Specialty and Ancillary Services to provide a robust interdisciplinary approach to care.

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.
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38U.S.C 7403(f).
• 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. 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 Determination

In addition to the basic requirements listed above, the following experience and knowledge, skills, and abilities criteria must be met:

• Experience: One (1) year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. Examples of qualifying experience 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
  • Monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility
  • Verifying and updating demographics and insurance information
  • Coordinating administrative functions related to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals
  • Determining appointment type based on the patient's eligibility status (i.e., TRICARE, sharing agreements, etc.)
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
  • 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.
  • Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.
• Creditable Experience: To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with current MSA responsibilities or an equivalent administrative patient support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid or non-paid employment as an MSA or an equivalent position in a non-VA hospital or clinic setting.
• Preferred Experience: High volume clinic scheduling in a hospital or doctor's office Advanced customer service skills as evidenced by daily interaction and communication with clinicians, patients, families and coworkers. Experience in a clinic setting with multiple inputs (in person, telephone, instant message communications) that need timely and professional resolution. Experience with computer scheduling programs or software utilized in a clinic or hospital.

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-6. Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a