Medical Support Assistant

Veterans Health Administration • Lincoln, NE

14d • Onsite

About The Position

The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) in the VA Dental Service Department serves as an initial point of contact for the units, clinics, and patients. The position supports patient care through appointment scheduling, tracking and responding to electronic orders and consults, and using computerized data-entry and information-processing systems and related software. The full performance level is GS-5. The work schedule is 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Telework is not available, and this is not a virtual position.

The role coordinates patient flow for dental clinic teams, supports patients and visitors, manages dental scheduling and records, and performs administrative and reporting duties. The position also supports dental fee-basis programs and coordinates applicant inquiries and interviews. Other duties may be assigned.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under applicable law.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• For the basic education requirement, a high school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or state or territorial proficiency certificate; no experience is required at the basic level.
• For GS-4, either one year of creditable experience equivalent to GS-3 or one year of education above high school, plus the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• For GS-5, either one year of experience equivalent to GS-4 or two years of education above high school, plus the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• At GS-4, knowledge of basic medical terminology; skill recording patient messages and understanding physician requests about follow-up care; ability to interact courteously with people from varying backgrounds and health care team members; and ability to use office automation equipment and software supporting patient care.
• At GS-5, advanced medical terminology knowledge sufficient to understand diagnoses and procedures and communicate clinical staff instructions to patients; customer-service skill to identify concerns and refer them appropriately; ability to use computerized systems to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient-identifying information; ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting; ability to work independently across varied patient-support duties; and professional communication skills in person, electronically, and by telephone.
• Complete the application, questionnaire, online assessment, and other required application steps and documents.
• Meet background/security investigation and onboarding requirements, and provide acceptable identification for pre-employment requirements.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period, as applicable.
• Submit transcripts when relying on education to qualify; foreign education must be evaluated for U.S. equivalency as described in the posting.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and maintain overall patient flow for Dental Clinic Teams.
• Receive patients and visitors in person or by telephone, and refer urgent messages and patient information for immediate action.
• Verify eligibility for care and contact appropriate staff for verification.
• Create clinic scheduling matrices; schedule appointments; and provide information about clinic and hospital policies, procedures, and locations.
• Monitor patient appointment schedules and communicate appointment delays to appropriate staff and patients.
• Coordinate and schedule appointments with other clinics and specialties, including inter-facility scheduling among Lincoln, Grand Island, and Omaha.
• Attempt to resolve complaints of a local administrative nature and refer other complaints as appropriate.
• Explain patients’ dental care benefits and entitlements, answer questions, provide guidance, and initiate corrective eligibility action.
• Prepare recurring reports, including quality assurance assessments, annual budget information, and expenditures for contracted laboratory and dental services.
• Answer applicant inquiries, collect and collate application paperwork, and schedule interviews in coordination with staff, residents, and meeting-room availability.
• Serve as primary manager of dental fee-basis programs and prepare quarterly activity reports for VISN and VACO as requested.
• Keep staff informed about the status of their education requirements.
• Identify cases requiring a higher level of input and refer them to the appropriate person.
• Use word-processing, spreadsheet, and PowerPoint functions to prepare letters and memoranda.
• Enforce patient scheduling policies and communication procedures for patients with excessive failures to attend or no-show appointments.
• Maintain work schedules and patient flow for contracted in-service dental providers.
• Maintain, scan, and route dental records to appropriate personnel.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered based on higher or unique qualifications or VA special needs.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, consisting of 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Selected applicants may qualify for 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 the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility conditions; subsidy may cover up to 25% of eligible childcare costs, up to $416.66 per month.
• Traditional federal pension, with five-year vesting, and federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

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