Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Veterans Health Administration • Murfreesboro, TN

8d • Onsite

About The Position

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (MSA) at grade GS-6 works in Care in the Community and performs administrative and clerical duties related to patient care and treatment, including inpatient, outpatient, and/or GEC program services. The MSA serves as a liaison among nursing staff, social workers, clinics, laboratories, operating rooms, physicians, Veterans, community providers, and other internal and external customers. The role explains community programs to Veterans and coordinates their care in the community through multiple avenues, providing customer service and connecting patients with the VA Medical Center and community providers.

The position operates in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. The MSA manages appointment scheduling and related administrative functions, communicates with patients and care teams, and independently organizes work and addresses administrative and scheduling problems. The stated schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework is not available, and the position is not virtual.

The position requires a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent and one year of experience equivalent to GS-5, with experience in comparable medical administrative or clinical support work. Applicants must meet federal employment conditions, including U.S. citizenship (with the stated statutory exception), English proficiency, and required pre-employment screening. The full performance level and actual grade for this vacancy are GS-06.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, except where appointment of a non-citizen is permitted under 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or state or territorial proficiency certificate.
• One year of experience equivalent to GS-5; qualifying experience must be comparable to MSA experience or an equivalent administrative clinical support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting.
• Advanced knowledge of technical health care processes related to access to care, including scheduling in interdisciplinary coordinated care and/or Care in the Community models and patient health care portals.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures affecting patient flow and administrative patient-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 clinicians across multiple disciplines to support team goals and patient care.
• Ability to set priorities and organize work independently to meet deadlines and comply with processes, policies, and regulations.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively with internal and external customers electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Satisfactory completion of required application steps and an online assessment.
• Successful completion of required background/security investigation and pre-employment physical examination; selected applicants in testing-designated positions are subject to urinalysis screening.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must meet Selective Service registration requirements.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period and receive written certification for continued employment after that period.
• Must provide a resume documenting job titles, duties, dates of employment by month and year, and hours worked per week.
• Must be able to operate a computer terminal and manage multiple activities at once.

Responsibilities

• Work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery environment, including Care in the Community.
• Develop and maintain effective communication with patients, interdisciplinary teams, management, VA medical centers, and other agencies.
• Explain community programs to Veterans and coordinate their care in the community.
• Serve as a liaison between the VA Medical Center and community providers, providing customer service to patients.
• Perform administrative functions associated with inpatient, outpatient, and/or GEC program patient care and treatment.
• Schedule appointments and notify a supervisor when a patient cannot be scheduled within mandated timeframes.
• Organize work independently and address administrative and scheduling problems.
• Coordinate appointment and consult scheduling, cancellations, rescheduling, and no-show information.
• Monitor appointment requests from multiple electronic sources and monitor inpatient and outpatient appointments in assigned areas.
• Participate in huddles with MSAs and clinic staff to identify daily clinic needs.
• Verify and update patient demographic and insurance information at check-in.
• Coordinate administrative functions for emergency and non-emergency transfers to other clinical or medical facilities or private hospitals.
• Determine appointment type based on patient eligibility status.

Benefits

• 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.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment, in connection with birth, adoption, or foster-care placement.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility limits.
• Traditional federal pension, with five-year vesting, and 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.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual for approved prior work or military service experience.

What This Job Offers

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