Lead Medical Support Assistant

Veterans Health Administration • Greenville, SC

9d • Onsite

About The Position

The Lead Medical Support Assistant is assigned to the Patient Administration Section of the Business Office at the Columbia VA Healthcare System, serving locations in Columbia, Greenville, Sumter, Orangeburg, Spartanburg, Rock Hill, Anderson, and Florence County. Patient Administration provides administrative support to clinical services, including Primary Care and specialty clinics at Community Based Outpatient Clinics.

At the GS-07 level, the Lead MSA works independently as a key source of patient information and supports administrative operations in outpatient clinics. The role includes coordinating clinic workflows and staff coverage, supporting appointment and consult management, and helping ensure accurate patient records and completed encounters. The position is permanent and is not virtual; telework is not available. The stated work schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., subject to change based on agency needs.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA policy exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or state or territorial proficiency certificate.
• One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade for placement at GS-07.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology and clinical flow processes related to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, or communities.
• 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, delegate tasks and responsibilities, and 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, follow up on pending issues, and understand the impact of incomplete work across multiple clinics.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical evaluation or examination and satisfy applicable background, security, onboarding, and identification requirements.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, as specified by the agency.
• Must meet the applicable Selective Service registration requirement for males born after December 31, 1959.

Responsibilities

• Schedule appointments in accordance with VHA directives, including canceling, rescheduling, and documenting no-show appointments and consults.
• Verify and update patient demographics, including capturing insurance information through ICB Web.
• Ensure assigned clinic staff complete appropriate patient actions in Integrated Scheduling Solutions and CPRS, including scheduling, check-in, check-out, no-show processing, alert review, and note sign-off.
• Ensure patient encounters for assigned clinics are completed by the end of each business day, including processing no-shows and cancellations through systems such as AudioCare, VeText, ISS, and CTM.
• Ensure consults older than 90 days have documentation of additional scheduling attempts or provider-directed disposition.
• Track and manage consults and Return to Clinic orders for assigned clinics.
• Provide feedback to providers when additional information is needed for scheduling.
• Retrieve medical information from electronic records at the request of providers, social workers, nurses, and supervisors for patient education purposes, while maintaining HIPAA standards.
• Ensure clinic staff monitor delinquent recalls and insurance-capture buffer exceptions and use Vet Link appropriately.
• Receive and direct patients and visitors in person and by telephone, answer routine inquiries, and refer questions about patient care appropriately.
• Coordinate patient transportation and travel concerns with Veterans Transportation Service and Bene-Travel staff.
• Under the immediate supervisor's direction, monitor and assign daily work, resolve routine workplace issues, and maintain efficient clinic workflows.
• Conduct daily rounds to ensure adequate administrative coverage and distribute and balance workloads in assigned clinic areas.
• Ensure accurate daily posting of assigned employees' time to the appropriate T&L unit.
• Complete approved clinic modifications, including cancellations, adding slots, and inactivations, after approval by the Supervisory Medical Administrative Specialist (Site Manager).
• Provide information about medical center policies and procedures.
• Ensure subordinate staff follow patient-safety standards, including use of two forms of identification for patients.
• Collaborate and communicate with professionals to support customer service, continuity and quality of care, and compliance with policies and regulations.
• Orient and provide on-the-job training to new and current employees as needed.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered based on higher or unique qualifications or VA needs.
• 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, subject to request and approval.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment for qualifying birth, adoption, or foster-care placement.
• Potential childcare subsidy after 60 days for eligible full-time employees and families meeting the stated income and other eligibility limits.
• Traditional federal pension, with five-year vesting, and 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: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED