Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Veterans Health Administration • Conway, AR

6d • Onsite

About The Position

The Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) performs administrative and patient-support work related to care and treatment in inpatient units, outpatient clinics, and scheduling call centers. The role works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model, including PACT, Specialty Clinics, Compensation & Pension, Mental Health, and Clinical Contact Center teams. It provides clerical support and customer service to help ensure timely patient treatment.

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant manages patient communications and follow-up, supports care-team coordination, monitors appointment readiness and clinic schedules, maintains accurate information in electronic patient systems, and schedules or adjusts appointments. The position requires specialized administrative judgment and the flexible use of clinical-flow processes across multiple clinics, specialties, and community-care resources. It also involves recommending procedural changes, communicating with clinicians and external agencies, and independently prioritizing work to meet patient and team needs.

This is an open continuous announcement through September 30, 2027. Qualified applicants may be referred as vacancies arise. Work schedules vary by location and may change according to facility needs. The position is not telework-eligible or virtual. Work is performed in an office or clinic setting and may involve handling several tasks at once in stressful situations. The role may require a one- or two-year trial period.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated statutory exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or state/territorial proficiency certificate.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• One year of experience equivalent to the GS-05 level for qualification at GS-06.
• Advanced knowledge of technical health-care processes related to access to care, including scheduling across interdisciplinary care models and patient health-care portals.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures 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 set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines and comply with processes, policies, and regulations.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively by electronic means, phone, in person, and in writing with internal and external customers; this may include preparing reports, presenting data, and resolving patient concerns.
• Resume must describe relevant duties demonstrating the required knowledge, skills, and abilities and include hours worked per week for experience credit.
• Complete the required application steps and online assessment.
• Meet applicable pre-employment requirements, including background/security investigation, physical evaluation, onboarding, acceptable identification, and seasonal influenza vaccination program participation.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must be registered for Selective Service.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to written certification for continued employment.

Responsibilities

• Communicate with patients, interdisciplinary teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies.
• Manage follow-up systems for consults, tests, and other care needs.
• Process incoming patient secure messages through MyHealtheVet and coordinate with the care team as appropriate.
• Participate in team huddles and meetings to manage, plan, problem-solve, and follow up on patient care.
• Set priorities and deadlines, and adjust work flow and sequencing to meet team and patient needs.
• Identify incomplete encounters and communicate findings to providers as needed.
• Assist the team in reinforcing care plans and self-help solutions.
• Enter appropriate information into electronic records.
• Monitor pre-appointment information and requirements to ensure readiness for patient visits or procedures.
• Ensure patient insurance information is correctly captured and updated.
• Use patient systems to verify and validate information accuracy and resolve issues.
• Review patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether immediate appointments are needed.
• Inform team members about shared patients receiving care at multiple VA centers or in the community.
• Schedule, reschedule, cancel, record no-shows, and add appointments using VSE software.
• Coordinate clinic appointment availability and monitor schedules to support clinic needs, making adjustments as necessary.
• Recommend changes to clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines.
• Support communications such as inpatient-to-outpatient discharge coordination, communication with non-VA medical facilities, and correspondence notifying patients of normal laboratory results.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package available to the employee and family, subject to eligibility based on position type.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual for prior federal employment or military service, subject to request and approval.

What This Job Offers

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