Medical Support Assistant - Advanced

Veterans Health Administration • Indianapolis, IN

7d • Onsite

About The Position

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant supports the Facility with ongoing management of contacts with Veterans and caregivers for scheduling, canceling, and rescheduling appointments and consults; entering no-show information; preparing for clinic visits; verifying and updating demographic and insurance information; processing records from outside medical care; and obtaining DD214 forms as needed for eligibility and benefit determinations. The role uses VA scheduling software and reports to complete assigned work and refers questions requiring immediate medical or clinical attention to the appropriate healthcare team member.

The incumbent also supports Health Administration Service through administrative work, including maintaining program materials, assisting with new-staff orientation and on-the-job training, completing work orders, preparing correspondence, and participating in scheduling and phone audits. The position is cross-trained in other support functions and provides front-desk coverage and cross-coverage for time-sensitive administrative duties when primary staff are unavailable.

Work schedule: Monday through Friday, with one of three schedules: 7:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m., 7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m., or 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Telework is not available; this is not a virtual position.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required, with limited statutory exceptions for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade, GS-05, in a Medical Support Assistant role or comparable duties.
• High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, state or territorial proficiency certificate, or post-high-school education; a grandfathering provision applies to qualifying current VA employees.
• Advanced knowledge of healthcare technical processes related to access to care, including scheduling across coordinated-care models and patient healthcare portals.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures for coordinated care or care-in-the-community operations 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 clinicians across multiple disciplines to support team goals and patient care.
• Ability to independently prioritize 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.
• Must complete a background/security investigation and online onboarding requirements.
• Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period.
• A transcript is required if education is used to qualify; qualifying foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with the transcript.

Responsibilities

• Contact Veterans and caregivers to schedule, cancel, and reschedule appointments and consults.
• Enter no-show information and prepare for clinic visits.
• Verify and update demographic, eligibility, and insurance information in computer systems.
• Process records from outside medical care and obtain DD214 forms as needed for eligibility and benefit determinations.
• Use VA scheduling software, including the Electronic Health Record, ISS, VS GUI, and Virtual Care Manager, to schedule appointments within the appropriate desired date.
• Follow patient outreach and scheduling protocols, enter appointments in the Electronic Health Record, and document cancellations and rescheduling according to established protocols.
• Refer questions requiring immediate medical or clinical attention to the appropriate healthcare team member.
• Use EARR, referral, appointment, and other national, VISN, and local reports to complete assigned tasks.
• Assist with updating, developing, and maintaining program materials, packets, and other printed materials.
• Assist with orientation and on-the-job training of new staff.
• Complete work orders and contact appropriate staff to support the environment of care.
• Prepare administrative correspondence, ensuring formatting, spelling, grammar, document versions, and Certified mail standards are appropriate.
• Participate in scheduling and phone audits and reviews.
• Perform other assigned administrative duties, including records management.
• Provide cross-trained support for other staff functions and front-desk coverage, including time-sensitive cross-coverage when primary staff are unavailable.

Benefits

• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, consisting of 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster-care placement of a child.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to family income and other eligibility limits.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting.
• Federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.
• Prior federal or military service may be credited toward annual leave accrual, subject to approval.

What This Job Offers

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