Medical Support Assistant

Veterans Health Administration • Norristown, PA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is in Health Administration Service (HAS) at the Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Norristown, PA. The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) is responsible for performing a variety of technical support duties that facilitate the work of physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nursing assistants, and other members of the medical facility who provide direct patient care. Duties Medical Support Assistants (MSA) are considered chief sources of patient care and patient flow information. The MSA is a key member of the patient care team providing crucial administrative advice and guidance. The MSA performs clerical work in support of the care and treatment given to patients. The MSA is 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. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: scheduling, cancelling-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; participating in huddles with other MSAsand/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 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.). Additional duties may include, but are not limited to: Completes scheduler training as outlined in the Directive and maintain skillsthrough completion of courses as assigned. Promotes Veteran satisfaction by resolving Veteran concerns, applying first call resolution practices. Generates and provide After Visit Summary for patients, following exit with provider. Manages provider scheduling grids by accurately blocking clinics for scheduled and unscheduled provider leave, training, and meetings. Prepares for clinic visits, by requesting and receiving records and lab results for provider review prior to appointment; monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments for team/teamlet/specialty providers. Develops and maintains rapport with patients and members of the interdisciplinary team by applying Own the Moment, ICARE, and a helpful and professional attitude. Receives and relays a high volume of incoming and outgoing communication via telephone, fax, and email, from patients, staff and outside sources concerning a variety of medical, personnel, and administrative matters. Receives treatment and/or test results from outside providers, assures appropriate routing to HBPC provider for review and then routes to the Scanning section of Health Information Management for inclusion in the medical record. Assists in the orientation of newly appointed clinical staff on matters related to the administrative role in patient care, such as Veterans Affairs (VA) regulations, policies, and procedures on medical administrative matters.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Must complete all required steps in the process, including application, questionnaire, and online assessment.
• 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 forms of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement.
• Must complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• Will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period.
• Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship.
• English Language Proficiency: MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written English.
• No experience required.
• Education: High School Diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
• Ability to operate computerized programs and systems in order to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient identifying information (PII) into or from electronic health records, scheduling systems, and/or reports.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.
• Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting.
• Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work.
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone, with internal and external customers.
• Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution.
• Creditable experience includes administrative patient support in a medical inpatient or outpatient setting.

Nice To Haves

• Providing exceptional customer service to veterans.
• Answering telephone.
• Communication with healthcare providers, veterans.
• Managing multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Performing a variety of technical support duties that facilitate the work of physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nursing assistants, and other members of the medical facility who provide direct patient care.
• 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.
• Scheduling, cancelling-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.
• Coordinating administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals.
• Determining appointment type based on the patient's eligibility status.
• Completing scheduler training and maintaining skills through assigned courses.
• Promoting Veteran satisfaction by resolving Veteran concerns and applying first call resolution practices.
• Generating and providing After Visit Summary for patients.
• Managing provider scheduling grids by accurately blocking clinics for scheduled and unscheduled provider leave, training, and meetings.
• Preparing for clinic visits by requesting and receiving records and lab results for provider review prior to appointment.
• Developing and maintaining rapport with patients and members of the interdisciplinary team.
• Receiving and relaying a high volume of incoming and outgoing communication via telephone, fax, and email.
• Receiving treatment and/or test results from outside providers, assuring appropriate routing to HBPC provider for review and then routing to the Scanning section of Health Information Management for inclusion in the medical record.
• Assisting in the orientation of newly appointed clinical staff on matters related to the administrative role in patient care.

Benefits

• A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
• As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.
• Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.

What This Job Offers

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