Medical Support Assistant (Red Coat Ambassador)

Veterans Health Administration • Hampton, VA

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Medical Support Assistant (Red Coat Ambassador) serves in the Patient Advocate Office at the Hampton VA Medical Center in Hampton, Virginia, and reports to the Customer Experience Manager. The position works with staff across the medical center to resolve problems and support patient satisfaction. The incumbent guides patients, families, visitors, and other individuals to appropriate services or offices and provides or clarifies information to help them access services. The role involves responding to customers’ immediate needs and questions, identifying their needs, and helping personnel understand and relate to patients as individuals.

The employee plans and organizes work, with frequent supervisor assistance, to meet local and VA-wide deadlines for analyses, reports, and special assignments. Non-routine and highly technical problems are referred to the supervisor. The incumbent maintains the confidentiality and security of information, follows applicable privacy and computer-access rules, and provides courteous, tactful, respectful, and consistent customer service in accordance with established policies and procedures. The role also includes age-appropriate support, recognizing age-related needs and changes, helping clients plan for anticipated life changes and recognize health risks, supporting independence and self-care, and providing necessary safety measures.

The incumbent follows workplace safety and fire-prevention rules, uses protective equipment when required, reports accidents and unsafe conditions, attends scheduled training and safety promotions, and knows the fire-drill and emergency plans and equipment locations for the work area. Other duties may be assigned. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Telework is ad hoc as needed; this is not a virtual position.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA policy exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• For GS-3: high school diploma.
• For GS-4: one year of education above high school or equivalent experience, plus the ability to communicate courteously and helpfully with people from varied backgrounds and health care team members; use and navigate office automation equipment and software; knowledge of basic medical terminology; and skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests concerning follow-up care.
• For GS-5: two years of education above high school or equivalent experience, plus the ability to use computerized programs to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient-identifying information; advanced medical terminology knowledge sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients; ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting; ability to work independently across a wide variety of patient-support duties; effective and professional communication in person, electronically, and by telephone; and customer-service skill to identify concerns and refer them appropriately.
• Must meet the applicable experience or education and demonstrated knowledge, skills, and abilities for the grade selected; the vacancy grade range is GS-03 to GS-05, with GS-05 as the full performance level.
• Subject to background/security investigation and required onboarding; must pass a pre-employment physical evaluation or examination.
• Selected applicants in testing-designated positions are subject to urinalysis screening for illegal drug use; refusing testing results in denial of employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA health care personnel.
• Must complete application requirements detailed in the announcement’s Required Documents section.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to evaluation and written certification that continued employment advances the public interest.
• Must comply with applicable privacy laws and policies, computer-access requirements, and workplace safety and fire-prevention rules.

Responsibilities

• Guide patients, families, visitors, and other individuals to appropriate services or offices and provide or clarify information to help them access services.
• Respond to customers’ immediate needs and questions, determine their needs, and help staff understand and relate to patients as individuals.
• Work with medical center staff to support problem resolution and patient satisfaction.
• Plan and organize work to meet local and VA-wide deadlines for analyses, reports, and special assignments, seeking supervisor assistance as needed and referring non-routine or highly technical problems to the supervisor.
• Maintain confidentiality and protect sensitive information from unauthorized release, loss, alteration, or deletion; follow applicable privacy and computer-access requirements.
• Communicate and treat customers courteously, tactfully, and respectfully; provide consistent information under established policies and procedures and handle conflicts constructively.
• Provide age-appropriate care and support; assess age-specific needs and recognize changes associated with aging.
• Help clients plan for anticipated life changes, recognize health risks, focus on strengths, maintain independence, and perform self-care as needed; provide necessary safety measures.
• Follow safety and fire-prevention rules, use protective equipment when required, report accidents and unsafe or unhealthy conditions, attend training and safety promotions, and know work-area emergency plans and equipment locations.
• Perform other duties as required.

Benefits

• Competitive salary with regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered based on higher or unique qualifications or VA needs.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including 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 work or military service, subject to request and 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.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a child-care subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility limits.
• 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