Medical Support Assistant (Adv

Veterans Health Administration • Reno, NV

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant serves in Health Administration Service at the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System in Reno, Nevada. The role supports receipt, intake, and indexing of health and administrative information and uses personal computer and VistA applications. Working within an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model, the Advanced MSA coordinates with the patient care team to review clinic utilization and support patient care, access, and continuity. The position requires independent work using guidelines, precedents, and regulations, with minimal supervision. Higher-level duties involving significant scope, administrative independence, complexity, and variety must be performed at least 25% of the time. The position is primarily sedentary. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, with the tour of duty varying according to agency needs. Ad-hoc telework is available; this is not a virtual position.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for appointment of non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• One year of specialized experience at the GS-05 level or equivalent for the GS-06 grade.
• Creditable experience demonstrating knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with current Medical Support Assistant responsibilities or an equivalent administrative patient-support role in a non-VA inpatient or outpatient medical setting.
• 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 while complying with established processes, policies, and regulations.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing with internal and external customers; this may include preparing reports, presenting data, and resolving patient concerns.
• Advanced knowledge of technical healthcare processes, including scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated-care and community-care models and patient healthcare portals as they relate to access to care.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures for interdisciplinary coordinated care and community-care operations affecting patient flow and administrative patient support, including appointment cycles, outside referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, and provider availability.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology.
• Must meet all qualification requirements by the announcement closing date, 11/02/2026.
• Must maintain confidentiality of information obtained in carrying out duties.
• Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program; VHA health care personnel are also required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, subject to legally required accommodations.
• May be required to serve a probationary period and undergo a background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants must complete an online onboarding process.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain effective communication with patients, interdisciplinary teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies.
• Assist with communications during inpatient-to-outpatient discharge and communicate with non-VA medical facilities.
• Facilitate and process secure messaging between patients and the care team, and notify patients of normal laboratory results.
• Develop and manage tracking systems for follow-up care, including consults and tests.
• Participate in team huddles and meetings to manage and plan patient care, share information, and support continuity of care.
• Schedule patient appointments and set priorities and deadlines, adjusting work flow and sequencing to meet team and patient needs.
• Work with the team to reinforce plans of care and self-help solutions, and enter appropriate information into the electronic record.
• Monitor pre-appointment requirements to ensure readiness for patient visits or procedures, such as required X-rays or laboratory work.
• Manage the electronic wait list, verify and validate its accuracy, and resolve issues.
• Provide input on operational problems or procedures in team meetings and perform administrative follow-up actions.
• Evaluate patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether a patient is vested.
• Educate providers about shared patients receiving care at multiple VAs or in the community, and bring relevant information to providers' attention.
• Plan and organize work to meet local and VA-wide time frames for analysis requirements, reports, and special assignments; refer non-routine and highly technical problems to the supervisor.
• Report backlogs, deadline difficulties, uncooperative physicians, or difficulty obtaining information from clinicians or records.
• Maintain confidentiality of information and communicate with physicians, case managers, and other allied health professionals using sound interpersonal skills.
• Perform other duties as assigned by management.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package; specific benefits depend on position type and eligibility.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to advance request and approval.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed