Medical Support Assistant

Veterans Health Administration • Indianapolis, IN

9d • Onsite

About The Position

The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) works at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, performing technical and clerical support duties that facilitate the work of physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nursing assistants, and other members of the medical facility who provide direct patient care. The MSA is a key member of the patient care team and a source of patient-care and patient-flow information, providing administrative advice and guidance. The incumbent may work in a Call Center, Urgent Care, or an interdisciplinary care team within a primary care team or specialty clinic on an infrequent basis.

The position involves scheduling duties under the National Scheduling Directive and use of personal computer applications, Vista applications, and the Federal Electronic Health Record. The MSA handles patient calls, determines the nature of requests, and provides information in accordance with privacy requirements and clinic procedures. The MSA follows through on provider orders by scheduling consultations, laboratory work, x-rays, and other specialty clinic services; coordinates appointments with patients to reduce unnecessary trips when possible; monitors clinic access and reports scheduling difficulties; and reviews active and pending consultations. The incumbent also helps veterans submit beneficiary travel requests, communicates with people from varying backgrounds and healthcare team members, maintains records using office automation equipment and software, and protects patient confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA.

The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Compressed or flexible schedules and telework are not available. This is not a virtual position. The full performance level is GS-5. The position is primarily sedentary, with occasional walking, standing, bending, carrying light objects, and other moderate physical exertion.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA policy for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• High school diploma or transcript, GED certificate, state or territorial proficiency certificate, or qualifying post-high-school education; applicable VA grandfathering provisions may also apply to eligible current VHA employees.
• For GS-5, one year of creditable experience equivalent to GS-4, or two years of education above high school, in addition to the basic requirements.
• Qualifying experience may include interviewing patients for appointments, referring patients to specialty clinics, reviewing and documenting electronic health and administrative records, verifying third-party insurance, obtaining medical information, and scheduling under VHA guidelines.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology sufficient to understand diagnoses and procedures and communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.
• Customer-service skills, including identifying customer concerns and referring them to appropriate staff for resolution.
• Ability to operate computerized programs and systems to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and personally identifying information in electronic health records, scheduling systems, or reports.
• Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting and work independently on a wide range 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.
• Meet required application and online assessment steps; submit required documents and qualifying experience periods in the specified resume format.
• Subject to background and security investigation, onboarding requirements, and a one- or two-year trial period.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA health care personnel.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Submit a transcript if education is used to qualify; foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with the transcript.

Responsibilities

• Perform technical and clerical support duties for physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nursing assistants, and other direct-care staff.
• Provide administrative advice and guidance as a member of the patient care team and support patient-care and patient-flow information needs.
• Perform scheduling duties in accordance with the National Scheduling Directive using PC, Vista, and Federal Electronic Health Record applications.
• Screen and receive phone calls courteously, determine the nature of requests, and provide information consistent with privacy rules and clinic processes.
• Follow through on providers’ orders by scheduling consultations, laboratory work, x-rays, and other specialty clinic services.
• Schedule appointments with patient input, in person or by phone, coordinating appointments where possible to avoid multiple trips.
• Notify a supervisor when clinic access is inadequate or a patient cannot be scheduled within mandated timeframes.
• Review active and pending consultations daily.
• Assist veterans in creating beneficiary travel requests using paper forms or a veteran kiosk.
• Communicate and interact with people from varying backgrounds and healthcare team members to complete assignments.
• Use office automation equipment and software to establish, organize, and maintain record systems and schedule clinical appointments.
• Maintain patient confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA requirements.

Benefits

• 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.
• After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with birth, adoption, or foster-care placement of a child.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify after 60 days for a childcare subsidy of up to 25% of eligible childcare costs, subject to income, child eligibility, and a monthly maximum of $416.66.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and a federal 401(k) with VA contributions of up to 5%.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual for prior work or military service, subject to request and approval.

What This Job Offers

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