Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Veterans Health Administration•Mechanicsburg, PA

7d•Onsite

About The Position

The Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) position is located at the Cumberland VA Community Clinic in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and provides administrative support to the Health Administration Service and staff throughout the Primary Care service area. The role supports physicians, physician assistants, advanced registered nurse practitioners, nurses, dietitians, social workers, and other administrative and professional staff. The position provides specialized administrative patient support as part of an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. It requires administrative judgment and flexible use of clinical flow processes to support access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and community care resources. The work is performed in an office setting and is primarily sedentary, with occasional lifting and carrying of light loads such as files and records. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Telework is not available, and the position is not virtual. Relocation and recruitment incentives are not authorized.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for appointments when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or state or territorial proficiency certificate.
Proficiency in spoken and written English.
One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level for placement as a Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-06.
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.
Advanced knowledge of technical health care processes related to access to care, including interdisciplinary coordinated care, community care models, and patient health care portals.
Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures affecting patient flow and administrative patient support functions, including appointment cycles, outside referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, and provider availability.
Advanced knowledge of medical terminology.
Must pass a pre-employment physical evaluation or examination and meet background, security, onboarding, identification, and application-document requirements.
Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
Must serve a 1- or 2-year trial period, during which continued employment is evaluated.

Nice To Haves

Medical scheduling experience is preferred.
Current VHA employees in this occupation who meet the applicable criteria may qualify under the grandfathering provision.

Responsibilities

Answer phones, greet patients, and relay messages to appropriate staff inside or outside the unit.
Schedule, cancel, and reschedule patient appointments and consults, including interpreting and verifying provider orders according to VHA national scheduling guidelines.
Enter no-show information and monitor appointment requests from multiple electronic sources.
Verify and update patient demographics and insurance information at appointment 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.
Recommend changes to clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines.
Coordinate with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability and utilization, monitor clinic schedules, and adjust them as needed to support clinic needs.
Maintain effective communication with patients, interdisciplinary care teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies.
Process incoming patient secure messages through My HealtheVet and coordinate with the care team as appropriate.
Participate in team huddles and meetings to manage, plan, problem-solve, and follow up on patient care through information sharing and collaboration.
Set priorities and deadlines, and adjust work flow and sequencing to meet team and patient needs.
Identify incomplete encounters and communicate findings to providers as needed.
Enter appropriate information into the electronic record and monitor pre-appointment information and requirements to ensure readiness for visits or procedures.
Manage patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues; evaluate patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether immediate appointments are required; and inform team members about shared patients.