Medical Support Assistant (Scheduling Support)

Veterans Health Administration • Madison, WI

7d • Onsite

About The Position

The incumbent serves as a Medical Support Assistant in the Scheduling Support Section within the Chief of Staff Office at the Madison VA Hospital and Clinics in Madison, Wisconsin. The MSA provides primary administrative support to the unit by overseeing appointment scheduling, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. This is a full-performance-level GS-5 position supporting healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting. The work is mainly sedentary, with some bending, walking, standing, and carrying light items such as patient records, sterile supplies, and mail.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required, subject to the stated exception for non-citizen appointments when recruiting qualified citizens is not possible under 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• High school diploma, GED, or state/territorial proficiency certificate.
• For GS-5 qualification, one year of experience equivalent to GS-4 performing relevant medical administrative work, or two years of education above high school; transcripts are required when qualifying through education.
• Demonstrated ability to operate computerized programs and systems to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient-identifying information in electronic health records, scheduling systems, and/or reports.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology sufficient to understand diagnoses and procedures and communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.
• Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting.
• Ability to work independently on a wide variety of patient-support duties.
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone with internal and external customers.
• Customer-service skill, including identifying customer concerns and referring them to appropriate staff to ensure satisfactory resolution.
• Successful completion of required application steps, including an online assessment, background/security investigation, onboarding, and applicable pre-employment requirements.
• Participation in the VA seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for Health Care Personnel.
• A one- or two-year trial period is required.
• Physical work includes some bending, walking, standing, and carrying patient records, light sterile supplies, and mail.

Responsibilities

• Schedule, cancel, and reschedule patient appointments and consults.
• Enter no-show information.
• Monitor appointment requests from multiple electronic sources.
• Participate in huddles with other MSAs and clinic staff to determine the clinic’s daily needs.
• Monitor outpatient appointments in assigned areas.
• Verify and update patient demographic and insurance information.
• Operate computerized programs and systems to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient-identifying information.
• Communicate clinical staff instructions to patients using knowledge of medical terminology.
• Coordinate information and actions related to patient care and services.
• Provide customer service, identify customer concerns, and refer concerns to appropriate staff for resolution.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including annual leave, 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 family-income and other eligibility limits.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting.
• Federal 401(k), with VA contributions of up to 5%.
• 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