Lead Medical Support Assistant

Veterans Health Administration • Lincoln, NE

4d • Onsite

About The Position

The Lead Medical Support Assistant serves in the VA Outpatient Scheduling Services Department at the NWI Healthcare System Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Lincoln, Nebraska. The position oversees staffing, training, compliance, reporting, quality assurance, and budgetary initiatives that affect revenue-cycle operations, patient access, performance goals, and the VA’s public image. The role identifies and helps resolve administrative and clinical issues involving access, customer service, patient flow, revenue, and data validation, and supports process improvement, action plans, monitoring, and reporting.

The incumbent provides clinical and scheduling support, performs rounds in assigned clinic areas, and assists with clinic coverage as staffing needs change. The role requires independent judgment in addressing employee and patient concerns and resolving process problems, while working under the direction of a supervisor. The Lead MSA collaborates with interdisciplinary care teams and coordinates administrative services for veterans, family members, caregivers, the public, and administrative and clinical staff to support continuity of inpatient and outpatient care.

Requirements

• One year of experience equivalent to the GS-6 grade level.
• Advanced knowledge of technical healthcare processes related to access to care, including scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated-care or community-care models and patient healthcare portals.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures for interdisciplinary care delivery or community-care operations affecting patient flow and administrative patient support, 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 while complying with established processes, policies, and regulations.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively by electronic means, phone, in person, and in writing with internal and external customers; prepare reports, present data, and resolve patient concerns.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology and clinical flow processes related to access across multiple clinics, specialties, or community resources.
• Skill in communicating to achieve desired outcomes and coordinating with interdisciplinary care-team staff.
• Ability to use numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics in an interdisciplinary setting.
• Ability to organize work, set priorities, and delegate tasks or responsibilities to meet deadlines.
• Ability to provide staff development and training.
• Ability to manage staffing requirements and workflow priorities and adjust work to meet team and patient needs, including following up on pending issues and understanding the impact of incomplete work across multiple clinics.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• U.S. citizenship is required, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with the cited statute.
• High school diploma, GED, or qualifying proficiency certificate is required as the basic education qualification if the applicant does not meet the applicable grandfathering provision.
• Must complete the required application steps, including an online assessment, and meet background and security investigation requirements.
• Must participate in the VA seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period.
• A transcript or other specified education documentation must be provided when applicable to establish education qualifications.

Responsibilities

• Perform scheduling duties and provide customer service in an interdisciplinary care delivery model.
• Review workload reports and perform other duties to support the proper and timely treatment of patients.
• Maintain and build appointment schedules and grids for the organization as assigned.
• Assist with clinic access contingency plans by adjusting appointment times, locations, or dates, and shifting patients to other providers when staffing or coverage conflicts occur.
• Build or change clinic tours and setups, and cancel clinics as needed in a timely manner while following scheduling directives and protocols.
• Screen and receive phone calls courteously and promptly, determine the nature of requests, and provide information in accordance with privacy rules and clinic processes.
• Manage responsibilities with little supervision, set priorities and deadlines, and adjust workflow to meet team and patient needs.
• Participate in and lead required meetings and huddles involving patient-care planning and management.
• Coordinate administrative services for veterans, family members, caregivers, the general public, and administrative and clinical staff to support continuity of care.
• Generate patient workload reports for validation.
• Resolve difficult problems and defuse potential dissatisfaction with VA services.
• Perform daily rounds in assigned clinic areas and assist with clinic coverage as staffing levels change.
• Support staffing, training, compliance, reporting, quality assurance, and budgetary initiatives.
• Perform additional duties or tasks assigned by the supervisor to ensure efficient daily operations.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, comprising 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Potential credit toward annual-leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to approval.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment in connection with the 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, child eligibility, and program limits.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and a federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions.
• 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: Senior
• Education Level: High school or GED