Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Veterans Health Administration • Shelbyville, IN

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (A/MSA) serves Primary Care at the Shelbyville location and provides technical support to physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nursing assistants, and other medical-facility staff who provide direct patient care. The role includes managing consultations and appointments, responding to patient inquiries, and carrying out administrative duties that support patient access and clinic operations.

The A/MSA uses computerized office systems and databases to schedule appointments and maintain records, follows applicable scheduling directives and clinic processes, protects patient confidentiality, and provides consistent information to customers. The position is primarily sedentary, with periods of sustained concentration and some walking, standing, bending, and handling light objects. The schedule is 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; telework is not available, and the position is not virtual.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA policy exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• High school diploma or transcript, GED certificate, state or territorial proficiency certificate, or post-high-school education.
• One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05).
• Advanced knowledge of technical health care processes related to access to care, including interdisciplinary coordinated care and/or care-in-the-community scheduling and patient portals.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures for coordinated care operations and patient flow, including appointment cycles, outside referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, provider availability, and administrative support functions.
• 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 set priorities and organize work independently, meet deadlines, and comply 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.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Completion of the required application steps, including the online assessment and required application documents.
• Selected applicants must meet pre-employment requirements, including a background/security investigation, required drug screening for tentatively selected applicants in testing-designated positions, and participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to written certification for continued employment.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must be registered for Selective Service.

Responsibilities

• Screen and receive phone calls courteously and promptly, determine the nature of requests, and provide information in accordance with privacy rules and clinic processes.
• Follow through on providers’ orders by scheduling consultation requests, laboratory work, x-rays, and other specialty-clinic services available at the CBOC.
• Schedule appointments with patient input, in person or by phone, in accordance with applicable scheduling directives.
• Notify the supervisor when clinic access is inadequate or a patient cannot be scheduled within mandated timeframes.
• Review active and pending consults daily.
• Enter appointments upon receipt, ensure entries are correct, and correct scheduling errors within one day of receipt.
• Schedule return appointments before patients leave the checkout area and provide a card or letter with the next appointment details when desired.
• Cancel clinic availability in scheduling grids for assigned Teamlets when notified of a clinician’s absence.
• Assist veterans in creating beneficiary travel requests using a paper form or the veteran kiosk.
• Communicate and interact with people from varied backgrounds and health care team members to complete work assignments.
• Use office automation equipment, software, and databases to organize and maintain records and schedule clinical appointments.
• Maintain patient confidentiality in accordance with HIPM requirements.
• Provide customers with consistent information according to established policies and procedures.
• Handle customer conflicts and challenges constructively and appropriately.

Benefits

• 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.
• 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 child care subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility limits; subsidy is up to 25% of eligible costs, with a stated monthly maximum of $416.66.
• Traditional federal pension, with five-year vesting, and a 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 can be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

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