Medical Support Assistant

Veterans Health Administration • Kansas City, MO

9h • Onsite

About The Position

The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) works on inpatient wards within Business Office Service at the Kansas City VA Medical Center and supports clinics throughout the Kansas City VA Healthcare network. The role is supervised by the Ward Administration Supervisor and involves processing doctors’ orders, maintaining medical records, and coordinating patient movements throughout the hospital stay, including discharge and transfers to other facilities.

The MSA provides administrative support to clinical staff and patients, including appointment and consult scheduling, monitoring appointment requests, verifying patient demographic and insurance information, and coordinating emergency and non-emergency transfers. The position is full-time, with various tours and shifts available; days off are set by the supervisor and discussed during the interview. Telework and virtual work are not available. The annual salary range is $49,745 to $64,669.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or a state or territorial-level proficiency certificate; alternatively, the GS-05 grade determination allows two years of education above high school.
• For GS-05 placement, one year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade, or two years of education above high school.
• Demonstrated advanced knowledge of medical terminology sufficient to understand diagnoses and procedures and communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.
• Customer-service skill, including identifying customer concerns and referring them to appropriate staff for resolution.
• Ability to use computerized programs and systems to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient-identifying information in electronic health records, scheduling systems, and/or reports.
• Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting.
• Ability to work independently while performing a wide variety of patient-support duties.
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and by telephone with internal and external customers.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Must meet pre-employment evaluation or examination requirements, complete onboarding, and be subject to a background/security investigation.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to the stated evaluation and written certification conditions.

Responsibilities

• Advise clinical staff on current administrative processes.
• Answer phones, greet patients, and relay messages to appropriate staff inside or outside the unit.
• Schedule, cancel, and reschedule patient appointments and consults, and enter no-show information.
• Monitor appointment requests from multiple electronic sources.
• Participate in huddles with other MSAs and clinic staff to determine daily clinic needs.
• Verify and update patient demographic 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, including TRICARE, sharing agreements, collaterals, research patient, or VA employee status.
• Process doctors’ orders, maintain medical records, and coordinate patient movements during the hospital stay, including discharge and transfer to other facilities.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, comprising 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior federal employment or military service, subject to approval.
• 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.
• Potential childcare subsidy after 60 days for eligible full-time employees with total family income below $144,000, up to 25% of eligible childcare costs and a monthly maximum of $416.66.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and 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.

What This Job Offers

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