Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Veterans Health Administration • Lexington, KY

6d • Onsite

About The Position

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant works in the Outpatient Clinic Unit of the Ambulatory Care & Processing Section of Health Administration Service at a two-divisional teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Kentucky Medical Center and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The position is based at either the Cooper Drive or Leestown Road location and may require work at the other location as needed. The incumbent serves as an administrative liaison among specialty clinics, patient aligned care teams, inpatient care, clinic management, health benefits, and supported units to provide coordinated, patient-centered service.

The role includes supporting clinic operations and appointment access, coordinating with interdisciplinary care teams, maintaining patient and insurance information, monitoring consults and waitlists, and helping ensure clinic arrangements meet operational needs. The employee also trains and precepts other Medical Support Assistants. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, either 7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. or 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; the tour is assigned upon selection. Telework is not available, and the position is not virtual.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or state- or territorial-level proficiency certificate.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 level for the GS-6 Advanced Medical Support Assistant grade; qualifying examples include scheduling or rescheduling appointments and consults, monitoring appointment requests, participating in clinic huddles, verifying demographics and insurance, and coordinating transfers.
• Advanced knowledge of technical health care processes related to access to care, including interdisciplinary scheduling and patient health care portals.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures for coordinated care and 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 medical clinicians across multiple disciplines to support team goals and patient care.
• Ability to independently prioritize and organize work to meet deadlines and comply with processes, policies, and regulations.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively in writing, electronically, by phone, and in person with internal and external customers; this may include preparing reports, presenting data, and resolving patient concerns.
• Must complete the required application steps, questionnaire, and online assessment.
• Must meet background and security investigation requirements and complete online onboarding and acceptable identity-document requirements.
• Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as a VA health care personnel requirement.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to evaluation and written certification of continued employment.
• Applicants must document experience on their resume with job title, duties, start and end month/year, and hours worked per week.
• Physical ability to operate a computer terminal and manage multiple activities; work may involve walking, standing, bending, and carrying light items.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery environment, including patient aligned care teams and specialty care.
• Coordinate with patient care teams to review clinic utilization using reports such as the Clinic Utilization Statistical Summary.
• Monitor clinic setup and make necessary adjustments to support clinic needs.
• Maintain effective communication with patients, interdisciplinary teams, management, VA medical centers, and other agencies.
• Collect, scan, and update health insurance information; promote Veteran registration and use of My HealtheVet (MHV).
• Train other Medical Support Assistants on clinic operations and serve as a preceptor to developmental-level MSAs.
• Schedule appointments and notify a supervisor when clinic access is inadequate or a patient cannot be scheduled within mandated timeframes.
• Review active and pending consults, encounters, the Electronic Wait List, recall lists, and MHV secure messages daily for accuracy and disposition.
• Report backlogs, deadline challenges, uncooperative physicians, and difficulty obtaining information from clinicians or employee plans.
• Independently organize work and handle scheduling problems and deviations using knowledge of clinic operations, policies, schedules, and provider preferences.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including annual leave, sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Potential 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 placement.
• Potential childcare subsidy after 60 days for eligible full-time employees and families meeting the stated income and eligibility criteria.
• 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 may be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

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