Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Veterans Health Administration • Linwood, NJ

15h • Onsite

About The Position

The Wilmington VA Medical Center is recruiting one Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) to work in Health Administration Service at the Linwood, New Jersey Community Based Outpatient Clinic. The position provides administrative support for outpatient clinical services in the Wilmington VA Healthcare System and works collaboratively in an Interdisciplinary Coordinated Care delivery model, such as a Patient Aligned Care Team or Specialty Care setting.

The Medical Support Assistant performs a wide range of administrative duties, including collecting and updating insurance information, screening and responding to calls, preregistering Veterans, and accurately scheduling appointments. The role also involves interacting with adult and geriatric patients in ways appropriate to their cognitive, emotional, and developmental needs.

This is the full-performance-level GS-06 position. The work is primarily sedentary, though slight physical effort may be required. The position is onsite; telework and virtual work are not available. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Relocation and recruitment incentives, as well as permanent change of station authorization, are not available. Employees must serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to written certification for continued employment after the trial period.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under applicable law.
• High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or state or territorial education-board proficiency certificate.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• One year of creditable experience equivalent to GS-05 for placement at GS-06; applicants may qualify under the stated VHA grandfathering provision where applicable.
• Advanced knowledge of technical health care processes related to access to care, including scheduling across coordinated-care models 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.
• 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 set priorities and organize work independently to meet deadlines and comply with processes, policies, and regulations.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively by electronic means, phone, in person, and in writing with internal and external customers.
• Ability to prepare reports in various formats, present data to organizational levels, and resolve patient concerns.
• Complete all required application steps, including the online assessment and application documentation.
• Meet applicable background and security investigation requirements and complete online onboarding.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as required for VA health care personnel.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period.
• Effectively handle organizational change, role ambiguity, competing priorities, and unanticipated critical situations.

Responsibilities

• Collect and update insurance information from Veterans, family members, and other eligible patients.
• Screen and receive phone calls courteously and promptly, determine the nature of requests, and provide information in accordance with privacy rules and clinic processes.
• Use call lists and telephone Veterans to preregister them before scheduled visits.
• Enter Veterans seeking emergent or urgent care and schedule appointments accurately.
• Communicate and interact with patients in a manner appropriate to their cognitive, emotional, and chronological maturation needs.
• Schedule, cancel, and reschedule patient appointments and consults; enter no-show information; and monitor appointment requests from multiple electronic sources.
• Participate in clinic huddles with other Medical Support Assistants and clinic staff to determine daily needs.
• Monitor inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility.
• 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.
• Determine appointment type based on patient eligibility status.
• Answer phones, greet patients, and relay messages to appropriate staff inside or outside the unit.
• Interpret and verify provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.
• Advise clinical staff on current administrative processes.
• Communicate with clinical staff across disciplines and resolve patient concerns as needed.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package available to eligible employees and their families.
• Selected applicants may qualify for approved credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service.

What This Job Offers

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