Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Veterans Health Administration • Rochester, NY

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant works in the scheduling section of Health Administration Service for the Finger Lakes Healthcare system, supporting Bath and Canandaigua VAMCs and Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) locations at Rochester Clinton Crossings, Elmira, Wellsville, Coudersport, and Wellsboro. Assignments may include Patient Aligned Care Team, Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program, Ancillary Services, Medical Services, or Specialty Care. The duties and responsibilities of the Advanced Medical Support Assistant include but are not limited to the following: Provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. Independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting. Advises clinical staff on current administrative processes. Responsible for answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit, scheduling appointments, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. Utilizes specialized administrative judgment and flexibility in the use of a wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and/or care in the community resources. Recommends changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; participating in huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic; interviewing patients for appointments; referring patients to other medical specialty clinics; providing information to patients necessary to resolve complaints; interacting with both internal and external customers; reviewing and documenting medical outpatient and inpatient electronic health records, as well as administrative records; verifying third party insurance and updating information in the Insurance Capture Buffer (ICB) system; obtaining medical information from patients; coordinating information and actions related to patient care and services; and scheduling appointments in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. Monitors both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when patient's check-in for appointments. Coordinates administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals and determines appointment type based on the patient's eligibility status (i.e., TRICARE, sharing agreements, collaterals, research patient, VA employee, etc.). Expertise in utilizing numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics involved in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. Coordinate with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability/utilization to ensure that clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics and makes adjustments as necessary. Develops and/or maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies (e.g., assist with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge; communicate with non-VA medical facilities; prepare correspondence to notify patients of normal lab results; manage a system for follow-up care such as consults, tests, etc.). Processes incoming patient secure messaging through MyHealthyVet and coordinate with care team as appropriate. Participates in team huddles and team meetings to manage, plan, problem solving, and follow-up with patient care by sharing information and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team. Setting priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs Identifies incomplete encounters and communicates findings to providers. As needed, assists the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions. Enters appropriate information into the electronic record; monitors pre-appointment information and/or requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure. Manages patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues. Evaluates patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether the patient requires an immediate appointment. Informs team members about shared patients (i.e., those who receive their care at multiple VA centers or those who receive care in the community). Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements.
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• Required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period.
• High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
• MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.j.
• May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).
• Creditable Experience: Knowledge of MSA Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with current MSA responsibilities or an equivalent administrative patient support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting.
• Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment as an MSA or an equivalent position in a non-VA hospital or clinic setting.
• Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to MSA experience or equivalent administrative clinical support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting at the next lower grade level.
• For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty), and a range of varieties as described in this standard, at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.
• One (1) year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level, performing duties including but not limited to: independently perform a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting. Scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; participating in huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic, monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when patients check-in for appointments. Coordinates administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate with a wide range of medical clinicians across multiple disciplines (e.g. medical doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, clinical pharmacists, and nursing staff) to accomplish team goal setting to ensure medical care to patients is met.
• Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing, with internal and external customers. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various.
• Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process (including, but not limited to, scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community models and patient health care portals) as it relates to access to care.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community operational activities that affect patient flow, and patient support care administrative functions to include, but not limited to appointment cycles, outside patient referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, provider availability, etc.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.

Responsibilities

• Provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model.
• Independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting.
• Advises clinical staff on current administrative processes.
• Answers phones, greets patients, relays messages to appropriate staff.
• Schedules appointments, interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.
• Utilizes specialized administrative judgment and flexibility in the use of a wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and/or care in the community resources.
• Recommends changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines.
• Schedules, cancels, and re-schedules patient appointments and/or consults.
• Enters no-show information.
• Monitors appointment requests from multiple electronic sources.
• Participates in huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic.
• Interviews patients for appointments.
• Refers patients to other medical specialty clinics.
• Provides information to patients necessary to resolve complaints.
• Interacts with both internal and external customers.
• Reviews and documents medical outpatient and inpatient electronic health records, as well as administrative records.
• Verifies third party insurance and updates information in the Insurance Capture Buffer (ICB) system.
• Obtains medical information from patients.
• Coordinates information and actions related to patient care and services.
• Monitors both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility.
• Verifies and updates demographics and insurance information when patients check-in for appointments.
• Coordinates administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals.
• Determines appointment type based on the patient's eligibility status.
• Utilizes numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics involved in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model.
• Coordinates with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability/utilization.
• Develops and/or maintains effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies.
• Processes incoming patient secure messaging through MyHealthyVet and coordinates with care team as appropriate.
• Participates in team huddles and team meetings to manage, plan, problem solve, and follow-up with patient care.
• Sets priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs.
• Identifies incomplete encounters and communicates findings to providers.
• Assists the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions.
• Enters appropriate information into the electronic record.
• Monitors pre-appointment information and/or requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure.
• Manages patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues.
• Evaluates patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether the patient requires an immediate appointment.
• Informs team members about shared patients.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package
• Federal employee benefits
• Access to a range of benefits designed to make a federal career rewarding
• Annual (vacation) leave accrual based on years of service
• Credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work experience or military service experience

What This Job Offers

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