Advanced Medical Support Assistant

Veterans Health Administration • White City, OR

6d • Onsite

About The Position

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant serves in an assigned clinic at the Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center and Clinic. The incumbent performs duties related to receiving, intake, and indexing health and administrative information and uses personal computer and VistA applications. The role works collaboratively within an interdisciplinary, coordinated-care delivery model and patient-aligned care team. The Advanced MSA reviews clinic utilization, monitors clinic setup, and adjusts it as needed to support clinic requirements. The position also coordinates patient communication and administrative processes with care teams, VA medical centers, and external agencies to support continuity of care.

The incumbent manages clinic schedules, appointment and clinic cancellations, access monitoring, electronic wait lists, and consult workflows. The position requires communication with patients and clinical staff through in-person interactions, telephone, secure messaging, and written correspondence. The MSA participates in team huddles and meetings, helps plan patient care, follows up on operational issues, monitors pre-appointment requirements, and records appropriate information in the electronic record.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This is not a virtual position; telework is not available. The position is at the GS-6 full-performance level.

Requirements

• High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or state- or territorial-level education proficiency certificate.
• One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level, including independently performing healthcare administrative duties in an inpatient or outpatient setting.
• Experience advising clinical staff on administrative processes and providing administrative support such as answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages, and scheduling appointments.
• Ability to interpret and verify provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.
• Advanced knowledge of technical healthcare processes related to access to care, including interdisciplinary coordinated care, care in the community, and patient health care portals.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures affecting patient flow and administrative support functions, including appointment cycles, outside referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, and provider availability.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate with medical clinicians across multiple disciplines to support team goals and patient care.
• Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines and comply with processes, policies, and regulations.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively in person, by phone, electronically, and in writing with internal and external customers; this may include preparing reports, presenting data, and resolving patient concerns.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA policy exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical evaluation and background/security investigation and participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must complete the required application steps, questionnaire, online assessment, and onboarding requirements.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period.
• Resume must document experience with job title, duties, start and end month/year, and hours worked per week.

Nice To Haves

• Previous experience as a Medical Support Assistant.
• Experience working in a call center.
• Experience performing administrative healthcare functions.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate with the patient care team to review clinic utilization reports and monitor clinic setup, making adjustments as needed.
• Communicate with patients, interdisciplinary team members, VA medical centers, and external agencies to support care coordination and continuity.
• Participate in team huddles and meetings to manage and plan patient care; set priorities and deadlines and adjust work sequencing to meet team and patient needs.
• Manage the assigned clinic schedule, including Veteran appointment scheduling, appointment and clinic cancellations, monitoring available access, and communicating access information to clinicians.
• Manage the electronic wait list by verifying and validating its accuracy and resolving issues.
• Provide Veterans information about the Veteran’s Choice Program and determine when the option should be used.
• Monitor potential consults for assigned clinics and manage consult flow from initial receipt through scheduling.
• Use in-person communication, telephone calls, secure messaging, and written communication to complete assigned work.
• Work with the team to reinforce care plans and self-help solutions and enter appropriate information into the electronic record.
• Monitor pre-appointment requirements, such as X-rays and laboratory work, to ensure readiness for visits or procedures.
• Participate in problem solving on operational issues and procedures during team meetings and perform administrative follow-up.
• Follow up independently on team huddles by sharing information and collaborating with the medical team to support continuity of care.
• Review patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether patients are vested, educate providers about shared patients, and bring relevant information to providers’ attention.
• Perform duties related to the receipt, intake, and indexing of health and administrative information.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Possible credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service experience.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment, in connection with birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility limits.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and federal 401(k), with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs may be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED