Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Veterans Health Administration • Amarillo, TX

14d • Onsite

About The Position

The Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) is a specialized administrative patient-support role that may serve as a Clerk in the VHA Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT). Working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary care-delivery model, the incumbent acts as a liaison and expeditor between patients, clinical staff, specialty staff, and ancillary services. The role may support more than one team and is a front-line point of contact whose interactions contribute to patients’ perceptions of VA healthcare services.

The position supports timely patient care and maintains appointment schedules for one or more outpatient clinics. The incumbent schedules appointments in accordance with VA/VHA directives, handbooks, policies, and procedures, and escalates unresolved scheduling-instruction conflicts to the supervisor. The incumbent supports patient-safety identification standards, explains VA insurance-information collection requirements, and promotes patient registration for and use of My HealtheVet (MHV).

The Advanced MSA participates in daily teamlet huddles and weekly team meetings to manage and plan patient care, set priorities and deadlines, and adjust workflow and task sequencing to meet team and patient needs. The advanced-level assignment also involves specialized administrative judgment across clinic-flow processes, recommending procedural changes, using advanced patient systems, monitoring clinic utilization, coordinating patient communications and follow-up, and supporting accurate patient records and appointment readiness.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework is not available, and the position is not virtual. The full performance level is GS-6.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required, subject to the stated statutory exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or a state or territorial education-board proficiency certificate.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• One year of creditable experience equivalent to GS-5 involving delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting.
• Advanced knowledge of technical healthcare processes related to access to care, including scheduling across interdisciplinary care-delivery or care-in-the-community models and patient healthcare 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.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate with medical clinicians across multiple disciplines to support team goals and patient care.
• Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines and comply with established processes, policies, and regulations.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively with internal and external customers electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing; this may include preparing reports, presenting data, and resolving patient concerns.
• Must complete all required application steps, including an online assessment, and satisfy applicable background/security and onboarding requirements.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with the Selective Service.
• Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, with continued employment subject to written certification that it advances the public interest.

Nice To Haves

• One year of experience in a clinical environment coordinating clinic schedules for providers such as physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, or psychiatrists.
• One year of experience scheduling patients in medical appointment software in an interdisciplinary coordinated care-delivery model.
• One year of experience using medical terminology in an interdisciplinary coordinated care-delivery model.
• One year of experience managing patient communications in an interdisciplinary coordinated care-delivery model, such as by telephone or email.
• One year of experience documenting appropriate information in an electronic medical record.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a liaison and expeditor between patients, clinical staff, specialty staff, and ancillary services.
• Work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model, including PACT, and support more than one team when required.
• Maintain appointment schedules for one or more outpatient clinics and schedule appointments in accordance with VA/VHA directives, handbooks, policies, and procedures.
• Escalate scheduling-instruction conflicts that cannot be resolved within the teamlet to the supervisor.
• Use two forms of identification—name and full Social Security Number—to support patient-safety identification standards.
• Explain VA requirements for collecting insurance information from veterans, their families, and other eligible patients.
• Promote veteran registration for and utilization of My HealtheVet.
• Participate in daily teamlet huddles and weekly team meetings to manage and plan patient care, set priorities and deadlines, and adjust workflow and work sequencing.
• Answer phones, greet patients, relay messages, and schedule, cancel, or reschedule patient appointments and consults.
• Enter no-show information; monitor appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; and verify or update patient demographic and insurance information at check-in.
• Coordinate administrative functions for emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals, and determine appointment type based on patient eligibility status.
• Advise clinical staff on administrative processes and collaborate with clinicians across disciplines to support team goals and patient care.
• Review clinic appointment availability and utilization, monitor schedules, and make adjustments to support clinic needs.
• Recommend changes to clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines and use advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics.
• Process incoming patient secure messages through My HealtheVet and coordinate with the care team as appropriate.
• Support communication and follow-up among patients, care teams, VA medical centers, other agencies, and non-VA facilities, including discharge communications and follow-up for consults and tests.
• Prepare correspondence to notify patients of normal laboratory results and manage systems for patient follow-up care.
• Identify incomplete encounters and communicate findings to providers as needed.
• Assist the team in reinforcing plans of care and self-help solutions, and enter appropriate information into the electronic record.
• Monitor pre-appointment information and requirements to ensure readiness for patient visits or procedures.
• Verify and validate patient-system information, resolve issues, and evaluate patient information and clinic schedules to identify patients needing immediate appointments.
• Inform team members about shared patients receiving care at multiple VA centers or in the community.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific benefits depend on position type and eligibility.
• Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to request and approval before the appointment date.

What This Job Offers

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