Medical Support Assistant

Veterans Health Administration • Columbia, MO

11d • Onsite

About The Position

The Primary Care Medical Support Assistant (MSA) provides administrative and patient-support services in a Primary Care setting, working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. The MSA supports physicians, nurses, and other medical-facility personnel who provide patient care. The Advanced MSA coordinates and provides varying levels of support to unit staff, manages consult processing and action-required reports, and helps ensure patients are seen promptly and workload is entered correctly. The position requires practical knowledge of computerized data-entry and information-processing systems, as well as knowledge of standard procedures, medical records, and medical terminology relevant to the services provided.

The position is based in a non-virtual Primary Care outpatient clinic. The work schedule is 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Telework is available on an ad-hoc basis. The full performance level is GS-5; selection may be at GS-3 through GS-5. No experience is required for the basic requirements, though higher grade levels have additional experience or education and competency requirements. The position requires a high school diploma or equivalent, U.S. citizenship, and proficiency in written and spoken English. No preferred experience is listed.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when recruiting qualified citizens is not possible under 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or state or territorial proficiency certificate.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• No experience is required for the basic requirements.
• For GS-4: one year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade or one year of education above high school, plus knowledge of basic medical terminology; skill recording patient messages and understanding physician follow-up requests; ability to interact courteously with people from varied backgrounds and healthcare team members; and ability to use and navigate office automation equipment and software.
• For GS-5: one year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade or two years of education above high school, plus advanced medical terminology knowledge; customer-service skills; ability to use computerized programs to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient-identifying information; ability to schedule medical appointments; ability to work independently on varied patient-support duties; and ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and by telephone.
• Complete the application, questionnaire, required online assessment, and other application steps.
• Meet background and security investigation requirements and complete the online onboarding process.
• Selected applicants must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period, as applicable.
• Provide acceptable education documentation when required; post-high-school education used to substitute for GS-5 experience must be supported by a college transcript.

Responsibilities

• Function as an independent clinic clerk and receptionist.
• Manage appointments according to clinic guidelines, including scheduling, cancelling, and rescheduling patient appointments and consults.
• Enter no-show information and complete action-required encounters to support appropriate workload credit.
• Verify and update patient demographics and insurance information.
• Support physicians, nurses, and other healthcare personnel by ensuring clerical tasks associated with prescribed plans of care are completed appropriately.
• Receive and make telephone calls for clinical staff and serve as a receptionist for patients, professional and clinical staff, and the public.
• Compose correspondence related to clerical and administrative functions of the clinical service.
• Maintain electronic records and files pertaining to the overall function of the specialty area.
• Prepare recurring reports related to administrative and clinical functions and check reported data for accuracy.
• Perform timekeeper duties.
• Coordinate support for unit staff and manage consult processing and action-required reports to help ensure timely patient care and accurate workload entry.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific eligibility depends on position type and other factors.
• Selected applicants may request credit for prior work or military service toward annual leave accrual, subject to approval.

What This Job Offers

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