Medical Support Assistant

Veterans Health Administration • Biloxi, MS

8d • Onsite

About The Position

The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) performs administrative and patient-support duties related to health care consult management and the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting. The MSA supports Veterans and clinical staff by managing appointments and consults, communicating information, maintaining electronic records, and coordinating with care teams. The role may be filled at GS-03 through GS-05, with GS-05 identified as the full-performance level.

The position is scheduled Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Work is performed in an office or clinic setting. The environment has minimal risks and normal safety precautions, but may involve handling multiple tasks at once in stressful situations. The position is not virtual, and telework is not authorized.

The position requires a high school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or state-issued proficiency certificate, and proficiency in spoken and written English. No prior experience is required for the basic requirements. Grade-specific qualifications may include experience or education above high school. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, meet applicable federal employment conditions, and pass required pre-employment screening, including a physical evaluation and background/security investigation.

The federal benefits described include paid annual and sick leave, paid federal holidays, parental leave subject to eligibility, a possible child care subsidy subject to eligibility, a federal pension and 401(k), and federal health, vision, dental, term-life, and long-term-care insurance. Recruitment, relocation, and permanent-change-of-station assistance are not authorized.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA policy exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a state or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• No experience is required for the basic requirements; GS-04 and GS-05 grade determinations require qualifying experience or education as specified for the respective grade.
• Ability to communicate and interact courteously and helpfully with people from varied backgrounds and healthcare team members.
• Ability to use and navigate office automation equipment and software, including computer systems, web-based scheduling programs, insurance collection systems, scanning software, multiple-line phone systems, and electronic fax programs.
• Knowledge of basic medical terminology; for GS-05, advanced medical terminology sufficient to understand diagnoses and procedures and communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.
• Skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests for follow-up medical care.
• For GS-05, ability to operate computerized programs and systems to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient-identifying information in electronic health records, scheduling systems, and reports.
• For GS-05, ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting and work independently on a wide variety of patient-support duties.
• For GS-05, ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and by telephone with internal and external customers.
• For GS-05, customer-service skill, including identifying customer concerns and referring them to appropriate staff for resolution.
• Complete required onboarding and application documentation, pass a background/security investigation and pre-employment physical evaluation, and participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Meet applicable Selective Service registration requirements for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period, with continued employment subject to written certification that it advances the public interest.

Responsibilities

• Advise clinical staff on current administrative processes.
• Screen and receive phone calls courteously and promptly, and relay messages to appropriate staff inside or outside the unit.
• Schedule, cancel, and reschedule Veteran appointments and consults; interpret and verify provider orders according to VHA scheduling guidelines.
• Enter no-show information and monitor appointment requests from multiple electronic sources.
• Monitor inpatient and outpatient appointments in assigned areas and evaluate patient information and clinic schedules to determine immediate appointment requirements.
• Process incoming patient secure messages through MyHealtheVet and coordinate with the care team.
• Participate in team huddles and meetings to plan, manage, problem-solve, and follow up on Veteran care by sharing information and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team.
• Identify incomplete authorizations and communicate with the OCC team and PACT providers.
• Help reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions, and educate providers and team members about patients' medical care.
• Enter appropriate information into the electronic record and monitor pre-appointment information and requirements to ensure readiness for visits or procedures.
• Use VISTA, CPRS, FBCS, HSRM, eCAMS, and other electronic patient systems.
• Screen new OCC consults for eligibility, requested specialty service, duplication, and appropriateness; seek guidance on difficult or complex consult issues.
• Determine Veteran eligibility for medical services through OCC processes and ensure authorization from the appropriate service chief for procedures at non-VA facilities.
• Contact Veterans by telephone to explain pending or new consult requests.
• Support electronic databases used to track OCC consults and send documents to the appropriate department for scanning.
• Review and update procedure manuals to maintain knowledge of current procedures and processes.
• Cross-train in other OCC areas to provide coverage and complete multiple assignments to meet patient needs.
• At applicable grade levels, verify and update demographic and insurance information, coordinate emergency and non-emergency transfers, and determine appointment type based on eligibility status.

Benefits

• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to approval.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment in connection with birth, adoption, or foster-care placement of a child.
• Eligible full-time employees with total family income below $144,000 may qualify for a child care subsidy after 60 days of employment, up to 25% of eligible childcare costs and a stated monthly maximum of $416.66.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and federal 401(k) with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term-life, and long-term-care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

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