Medical Support Assistant

Veterans Health Administration • Lyons, NJ

1d • Onsite

About The Position

This position serves as an intermittent Medical Support Assistant (MSA) for Community Care in the Business Office of the VA New Jersey Healthcare System at the East Orange or Lyons Campus. The MSA coordinates care for a beneficiary panel in collaboration with providers, registered nurses, mental health staff, clinical pharmacists, licensed practical nurses, community care providers, and the PPMS network.

The position supports timely access to approved community care, coordinates with the Third-Party Administrator (TPA-Optum), and contributes to quality improvement, patient flow, access, and system redesign efforts. Duties include monitoring and analyzing operational data, reviewing compliance with applicable policies and procedures, coordinating appointments and required records, supporting clinic staff, and helping maintain efficient workflows. The role is intermittent, with work scheduled Monday through Friday during hours between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.; telework is not available.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA policy exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• High school diploma, GED, or state or territorial proficiency certificate.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• For GS-04 consideration: one year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade, or one year of post-high-school education; and knowledge of basic medical terminology, skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician follow-up requests, courteous communication with people from varied backgrounds and healthcare team members, and ability to use and navigate office automation equipment and software.
• For GS-05 consideration: one year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade, or two years of post-high-school education; and advanced medical terminology knowledge, customer-service skills, ability to operate computerized systems and handle sensitive medical and identifying information, ability to schedule clinical appointments, ability to work independently across varied patient-support duties, and professional communication in person, electronically, and by telephone.
• Successful completion of required background/security investigation and online onboarding.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
• Selected employees must serve a one- or two-year trial period and receive written certification for continued employment upon its completion.
• Foreign education used to meet qualifications must be deemed equivalent to U.S. education by an appropriate credential evaluation organization; a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency and transcript are required for credit.
• Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited institutions may be used to qualify.

Responsibilities

• Ensure practice areas are adequately covered, prioritize and complete assigned work within deadlines, adjust workflow to meet team and patient needs, and provide courteous service.
• Participate in and follow up on team huddles, share information with the medical team, evaluate patient and clinic schedule information, determine whether patients are vested, and alert providers about shared patients.
• Collaborate with the community care clinical team to complete steps needed for timely access to approved community care.
• Coordinate care and communicate with TPA-Optum throughout the care process, including following up to ensure appointments are scheduled accurately and promptly.
• Monitor, trend, and analyze data; interpret VA handbooks and directives concerning access, performance improvement, and patient flow; collaborate with the facility Access Coordinator; and track reviews and action items through timely completion.
• Participate in unit- and program-level quality improvement initiatives and customer service programs, and identify opportunities to improve the quality and safety of patient care.
• Assist service leadership in maintaining appropriate processes, follow up on actions, and report outcomes supporting current systems redesign processes.
• Conduct reviews of compliance with program regulations, policies, and procedures, and assist with developing facility policies and procedures as appropriate.
• Help develop standardized system-related procedures to reduce variation, and use analysis and other statistically valid techniques to support Veterans Choice Act access efforts.
• Participate in developing approaches to establish, enhance, modify, or improve facility programs related to the Mission Act.
• Study administrative workflow for the practice group to assess operational efficiency.
• Recognize when emergency measures are needed and institute them when indicated.
• Monitor work assignments, resolve daily workplace issues, and maintain efficient workflow.
• Ensure community care provider requests are completed, including laboratory work, prescriptions, and prior imaging or films needed for appointments; ensure results and records are in CPRS and scanned and registered by the date of care and before the next follow-up appointment.
• Scan and index documents into the electronic medical record.
• Assist clinic staff with projects such as updating the outpatient clerk's procedural manual and perform other assigned duties.
• Assume duties of other administrative practice members when they are absent.
• Participate in team meetings and contribute to solving operational issues and procedural problems.
• Investigate and help correct issues requiring special action, including obtaining additional information or medical documentation needed by a provider or TPA.
• Ensure mandatory directives and policies are followed.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package; eligibility depends on the type of position and employment status.
• Annual leave accrual may be credited for qualifying prior federal service, work experience, or military service, subject to advance request and approval.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED