Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Veterans Health Administration • Murfreesboro, TN

9d • Onsite

About The Position

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (GS-6) works in Ward Administration, Business Office, serving as a liaison among nursing staff, social workers, clinics, laboratories, the operating room, physicians, and internal and external customers. The role provides administrative and clerical support in an inpatient care setting and supports coordinated, interdisciplinary care delivery. The full performance level is GS-06.

The position uses VISTA and other systems to manage patient movements, bed management, appointments, and physician orders. The employee independently organizes work and resolves administrative and scheduling issues based on knowledge of inpatient ward operations, policies, schedules, and provider preferences. The employee also trains and precepts developmental-level Medical Support Assistants.

The work schedule is 3:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., with rotating weekends. Telework is not available, and the position is not virtual. The role is generally sedentary, but may involve walking, standing, bending, and carrying light items. Work may be stressful during peak clinic hours or periods of high activity.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required, subject to the stated exception for appointing non-citizens when qualified U.S. citizens cannot be recruited.
• High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or state or territorial education-board proficiency certificate.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level.
• Advanced knowledge of technical health care processes as they relate to access to care, including scheduling across interdisciplinary care delivery or care-in-the-community models and patient health care portals.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures affecting patient flow and administrative support functions, 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 with internal and external customers electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing; this may include preparing reports, presenting data, and resolving patient concerns.
• Experience documentation must include job title, duties, month and year start and end dates, and hours worked per week.
• Must complete required background/security investigation and onboarding requirements and participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period.
• Must be able to operate a computer terminal and manage multiple activities at once.

Nice To Haves

• Previous experience as a Medical Support Assistant.
• Previous experience working in a call center.
• Previous experience performing administrative health care functions.

Responsibilities

• Work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery environment, such as a patient-aligned care team or specialty care setting.
• Use the VISTA Bed Control Menu to perform patient movements.
• Handle multiple phone lines in an inpatient care setting and forward calls to the appropriate staff when needed.
• Communicate effectively with patients, interdisciplinary teams, management, VA medical centers, and other agencies.
• Perform inpatient ward administrative duties, including creating inpatient charts, ordering supplies, breaking down charts for scanning, and updating the Bed Management System.
• Train other Medical Support Assistants on inpatient ward operations and serve as a preceptor to developmental-level MSAs.
• Schedule appointments and notify a supervisor when clinic access is inadequate or a patient cannot be scheduled within mandated timeframes.
• Process physician orders from CPRS and verify orders in CPRS upon completion.
• Complete discharge and transfer packets for patients leaving the hospital or transferring to another facility.
• Independently organize work and address administrative and scheduling problems or deviations based on knowledge of inpatient ward operations, policies, schedules, and provider preferences.

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.
• Eligible employees may receive credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment in connection with a child's birth, adoption, or foster care placement.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a child care subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility limits.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting.
• 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 may be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

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