Patient Access & Scheduling Specialist

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Charleston (SC); On-site; USD 35,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Charleston, SC is seeking a Medical Support Assistant to handle phones, greet patients, relay messages, schedule appointments, and verify provider orders according to VHA guidelines.

The role requires basic clerical experience or education, strong English proficiency, and the ability to manage electronic health records and scheduling systems. Work is on-site with a standard MSA schedule, focusing on patient support and confidentiality.

Qualifications

• United States Citizenship required; non-citizens may be appointed per VA policy
• Six months clerical/office/customer service experience or four years above high school or an equivalent combination
• English language proficiency in accordance with VA standards
• One year of experience equivalent to GS-4 or four years above high school
• Ability to operate computerized programs and systems to enter/modify/retrieve information
• Advanced medical terminology to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients
• Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting
• Ability to work independently with diverse duties
• Ability to communicate professionally with internal and external customers
• Must document experience in resume to avoid ineligibility
• KOAs: knowledge of privacy and confidentiality standards
• Duties: adhere to VA regulations and patient privacy standards

Responsibilities

• Applies scheduling directives and clinic capacity policies to schedule and coordinate appointments
• Manage consults, electronic wait lists, recalls, and My HealtheVet messages
• Review active/pending consults daily and monitor access
• Notify supervisor if access falls below standards and adjust as needed
• Explain VA mandate for insurance information and collect/scan insurance data
• Identify third-party insurance coverage and promote patient registration in My HealtheVet
• Train others on Insurance Capture Buffer processes as needed
• Provide information on beneficiary travel and coordinate eligibility with Health Benefits Advisor
• Safeguard confidentiality per HIPAA, Privacy Act and VA policies
• Maintain readiness for Joint Commission inquiries and assist in care planning
• Demonstrate competency in VistA and CPRS; train staff on scheduling workflows
• Interact with VA/non-VA providers and community programs; serve as front-line contact
• Demonstrate tact, diplomacy, and sensitivity when assisting Veterans and families
• Verify demographics and two-identifier verification; route calls courteously
• Support VHA performance measures and complete annual training requirements
• Contribute to systems redesign projects and assist in training MSA staff

Skills

Customer service

Office work

Communication

English proficiency

Education

Six months clerical/office/customer service experience

Four years above high school

Equivalent combination of experience and education

Tools

VistA

CPRS

MyHealtheVet

VA scheduling systems

Job description

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Charleston, SC is seeking a Medical Support Assistant to handle phones, greet patients, relay messages, schedule appointments, and verify provider orders according to VHA guidelines.

The role requires basic clerical experience or education, strong English proficiency, and the ability to manage electronic health records and scheduling systems. Work is on-site with a standard MSA schedule, focusing on patient support and confidentiality.