Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) - Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT)

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; New Orleans (LA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in New Orleans, LA seeks a Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) to work within the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT). The role focuses on reception, intake, and indexing of health and administrative information to support care delivery.

As a GS-06 MSA, you will coordinate clinic utilization, schedule appointments, and maintain accurate records across multiple clinics in a busy health care system. Strong communication and organizational skills are essential.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• English language proficiency for professional clinical support.
• Experience with coordinating patient flow and clinic scheduling.
• Ability to work within an interdisciplinary care delivery model.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate with the patient care team to review clinic utilization using reports.
• Ensure clinic setup aligns with patient care needs and adjust as necessary.
• Develop and maintain effective communication with patients, VA centers, and external agencies.
• Manage tracking for follow-up care such as consults and tests.
• Participate in team huddles and meetings to manage patient care.
• Enter relevant information into the electronic health record.
• Monitor pre-appointment requirements to ensure readiness for visits or procedures.
• Manage electronic wait lists and resolve scheduling issues.
• Inform providers about shared patients and referrals.
• Assist with communications during inpatient to outpatient discharge.

Skills

Advanced patient scheduling

Clinical team collaboration

Prioritization and organization

Interdisciplinary communication

Education

High school diploma or GED

Job description

Summary
The Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) works in a Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) in the Health Administration Service of the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System located in New Orleans - Louisiana performing duties related to the receipt - intake - and indexing of health and administrative information.

Summary
The Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) works in a Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) in the Health Administration Service of the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System located in New Orleans - Louisiana performing duties related to the receipt - intake - and indexing of health and administrative information.

Qualifications
Basic Requirements:

• 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)
• Experience and Education
• 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
• Certification
• None required
• English Language Proficiency
• Medical Support Assistants 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
• To qualify for the GS-06 level - your resume must demonstrate you possess the required experience necessary to possess the Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs) required for the grade
• Be specific when describing the job duties that demonstrate you possess the KSAs listed
• Resume must include hours per week for work experience credit
• Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) - GS-06 (a) Experience
• One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-05 grade level)
• At the GS-05 grade level - the MSA independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of health care 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 - and 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 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.)
• (b) Assignment
• The Advanced MSA performs ..
• specialized administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model
• Work involves specialized administrative judgment and the flexible use of a wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across multiple clinics - specialties - and/or care in the community resources
• Recommends changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines
• Expertise in utilizing numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics involved in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model
• Coordinates with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability (utilization) to ensure that clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics - and makes adjustments as necessary
• MSAs at this level develop and/or maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient - interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model teams - VA medical centers - and other agencies (e.g. - assist with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge
• communicate with non-VA medical facilities
• prepare correspondence to notify patients of normal lab results
• manage a system for follow-up care such as consults - tests - etc.)
• (c) Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs)
• In addition - you must demonstrate ALL of the following KSAs in your resume: 1
• 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
• 2
• 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
• 3
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians
• 4
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians
• 5
• 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
• 6
• 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
• 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 - puling - and pushing
• May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment
• Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions
• the area is adequately lighted - heated - and ventilated
• However - the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model -- Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT)
• The primary duties of the Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) may include but are not limited to: Coordinates with the patient care team to review the clinic utilization by using various reports
• Ensures that the clinic setup is closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinic - and makes any necessary adjustments
• Develops and maintains effective and efficient communication with the patient - interdisciplinary team - VA medical centers - and other agencies to support patient care
• Manages a tracking system for follow up care such as consults and tests
• Participates in team huddles and team meetings to manage and plan patient care
• Adjusts the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs
• Enters appropriate information into the electronic record
• Monitors pre-appointment requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure (e.g. - X-ray - lab work)
• Manages electronic wait list to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues
• Informs providers about shared patients (those who receive their care at multiple VAs or those who have care in the community)
• Work Schedule: Typically - Monday-Friday - 7:30 a.m
• - 4:00 p.m. - Schedule subject to change based on needs of the facility
• Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
• Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
• Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experience
• Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment - up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth - adoption - or foster care placement of a child
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment - full time employees with a total family income below $144 -000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 629-00159F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.