Advanced Medical Support Assistant

Veterans Health Administration • Buffalo, NY

12d • Onsite

About The Position

The Specialty Clinic Call Center Medical Support Assistant provides frontline support to patients by managing high-volume calls, scheduling specialty appointments, and ensuring accurate patient information. The role delivers customer service, coordinates with clinic teams, and follows established workflows to support timely and efficient access to care. Strong communication, attention to detail, and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment are essential.

The position is full performance level GS-06. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:45 AM to 4:15 PM. Compressed or flexible scheduling, telework, and virtual work are not authorized. Relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change of station are not authorized.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• High school diploma or transcript, GED certificate, state or territorial proficiency certificate, or post-high-school education.
• One year of experience equivalent to GS-05 demonstrating knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with current Medical Support Assistant responsibilities.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate with medical clinicians across multiple disciplines to accomplish team goals and ensure patient care needs are met.
• Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines while ensuring compliance with processes, policies, and regulations.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively by electronic means, phone, in person, and in writing with internal and external customers; this may include preparing reports, presenting data, and resolving patient concerns.
• Advanced knowledge of technical health care processes, including scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care and/or care-in-the-community models and patient health care portals as they relate to access to care.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures for coordinated care and care-in-the-community operations affecting patient flow and administrative support, including appointment cycles, outside referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, and provider availability.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology.
• Must complete the required application steps and online assessment.
• Must register for Selective Service if applicable to males born after December 31, 1959.
• Subject to background and security investigation and must complete online onboarding.
• Must provide acceptable identification for employment verification; from May 7, 2025, non-REAL-ID-compliant driver's licenses or state identification cards are not acceptable for this purpose.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical examination.
• Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to evaluation and written certification for continued employment.
• Education documentation must be submitted where applicable; foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with transcripts.

Nice To Haves

• Call center experience is preferred.
• May qualify under the grandfathering provision, applicable only to current VHA employees in this occupation who meet the criteria.

Responsibilities

• Answer and route specialty clinic calls in a timely and professional manner.
• Schedule, cancel, and reschedule patient appointments using approved systems.
• Manage referral and consult workflows to support timely patient care.
• Verify insurance, demographics, and required documentation.
• Communicate effectively with clinical teams to support care coordination.
• Maintain accuracy, confidentiality, and compliance with regulations and protocols.
• Advise clinical staff on current administrative processes.
• Relay messages to appropriate staff and schedule or manage appointments and consults in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.
• Enter no-show information and monitor appointment requests from multiple electronic sources.
• Participate in clinic huddles and monitor inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility.
• Coordinate administrative functions for emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals.
• Determine appointment type based on patient eligibility status.
• Organize and prioritize work to meet deadlines and established processes, policies, and regulations.
• Communicate with internal and external customers and resolve patient concerns.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package.
• Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to prior request and approval.

What This Job Offers

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