Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)-Care in the Community

Veterans Health Administration • Fort Meade, SD

10d • Onsite

About The Position

The Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) provides clerical and administrative support for coordinating care and treatment for veterans through Care in the Community (CITC) referral processing at VA Black Hills Health Care System. The position is based at either Fort Meade, South Dakota, or Hot Springs, South Dakota, and requires the incumbent to report physically to one of those locations. The role works closely with clinical personnel and interdisciplinary care teams to help veterans receive timely care from community providers. It requires administrative judgment and knowledge of clinical flow processes, access to care, community care procedures, medical terminology, and patient-support systems.

The incumbent coordinates and schedules community appointments in line with care-team guidance and provider orders, communicates appointment details and instructions to veterans, and follows up on missed appointments. The role also supports communication among veterans, representatives, VA care teams and facilities, community vendors, and other agencies; processes patient messages and care requests; maintains accurate electronic records; and helps manage referral and scheduling workflows. The position is an open continuous announcement, with qualified candidates referred to the hiring manager every one to two weeks until the announcement closes or positions are filled.

The schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Telework is ad hoc only at the supervisor's discretion; this is not a virtual position. The vacancy is at the GS-6 level. No relocation or recruitment incentives or permanent change-of-station benefits are authorized.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated statutory exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or qualifying proficiency certificate.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 level, including the required medical support knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Advanced medical terminology knowledge sufficient to understand diagnoses and procedures and communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.
• Customer-service skill, including identifying customer concerns and referring them to appropriate staff for resolution.
• Ability to operate computerized systems to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and personally identifying information in electronic health records, scheduling systems, or reports.
• Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting and work independently on a wide variety of patient-support duties.
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with internal and external customers in person, electronically, and by telephone.
• Advanced knowledge of health-care processes and access to care, including interdisciplinary coordinated care, community care, and patient health-care portals.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures affecting patient flow and administrative support, including appointment cycles, outside referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, and provider availability.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate with medical 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 established processes, policies, and regulations.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively in writing and through electronic, telephone, and in-person channels; this may include preparing reports, presenting data, and resolving patient concerns.
• Must complete the required application steps and online assessment; subject to background and security investigation and onboarding requirements.
• Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to written certification for continued employment.
• Physical requirements are governed by VA Directive and Handbook 5019; a pre-employment examination or evaluation may be required.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialized administrative patient support in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model.
• Work with clinical personnel to help veterans receive timely referrals and scheduled care in their local communities.
• Recommend changes to clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines.
• Coordinate appointments with community vendors using care-team guidance and provider requests.
• Communicate and coordinate with veterans, veteran representatives, interdisciplinary care teams, VA medical centers, non-VA medical facilities, and other agencies.
• Administratively triage calls about community care requests and assist VA teams with understanding community care eligibility under the Mission Act of 2018.
• Assist CITC nurses with referral care coordination and follow up with community vendors to confirm appointment completion and obtain medical records.
• Process veteran messages through Message Manager and care requests through My HealtheVet, coordinating with the care team as appropriate.
• Participate in team huddles and meetings to share information, plan and problem-solve, and follow up on patient care.
• Set priorities and deadlines and adjust work sequencing to meet team and patient needs.
• Enter appropriate information in electronic records, manage patient systems, verify and validate information, and resolve issues.
• Evaluate and triage scheduling according to clinician recommendations and referral urgency.
• Schedule and reschedule patient consults and monitor Community Care processes.
• Interpret and verify provider orders and schedule the full range of medical care, including outpatient appointments and procedures, inpatient surgery, home care, laboratory tests, and imaging across specialties.
• Communicate pre-appointment requirements, instructions, and care details to veterans or their points of contact.
• Refer instructions requiring clinical review to the PACT Provider or Nurse.
• Identify and communicate veteran concerns or needs raised during Community Care communications.
• Contact veterans after missed appointments and assist them with rescheduling.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 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 the birth, adoption, or foster-care placement of a child.
• Eligible full-time employees may receive a child-care subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to family-income and other eligibility limits.
• 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.
• Potential annual-leave accrual credit based on prior work or military service, if requested and approved before appointment.

What This Job Offers

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