Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Veterans Health Administration • Reno, NV

5h • Hybrid

About The Position

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant serves in Health Administration Service at the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System in Reno, Nevada. The position handles receipt, intake, and indexing of health and administrative information, using personal computer and Vista applications. It works collaboratively within an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model, coordinating with the patient care team and reviewing clinic utilization through reports.

The incumbent supports patient communication and care coordination, appointment scheduling, follow-up tracking, clinic readiness, and electronic wait-list management. The role requires independent organization and prioritization of work, administrative follow-through, and maintaining confidentiality while communicating with physicians, case managers, allied health professionals, patients, VA medical centers, and outside agencies. Higher-level duties involving significant scope, administrative independence, complexity, and variety must be performed at least 25% of the time.

This is a primarily sedentary position. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, with the tour of duty varying according to agency needs. Ad-hoc telework is available; the position is not virtual. The position is permanent, and recruitment or relocation incentives and permanent change of station are not authorized.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception under VA policy for appointing non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• One year of specialized experience at the next lower grade level (GS-05), or qualification under the applicable grandfathering provision for current VHA employees in this occupation.
• Creditable experience demonstrating knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with current Medical Support Assistant responsibilities or equivalent administrative patient support in a non-VA inpatient or outpatient medical setting.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate with clinicians across multiple disciplines to set team goals and support patient care.
• Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines and comply with established processes, policies, and regulations.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing with internal and external customers; this may include preparing reports, presenting data, and resolving patient concerns.
• Advanced knowledge of technical healthcare processes, including scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care and care-in-the-community models and patient healthcare portals as they relate to access to care.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures for interdisciplinary coordinated care and care-in-the-community operations affecting patient flow and administrative patient support, including appointment cycles, outside referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, and provider availability.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and make decisions independently using guidelines, precedents, and regulations, with minimal supervision.
• Meet all qualification requirements by the announcement closing date of October 28, 2026.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service.
• May be required to serve a probationary period and undergo a background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants must complete online onboarding.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA health care personnel.
• VA health care personnel are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, subject to accommodations required by law; selected applicants must provide proof before their start date.
• No education substitution is available at this grade level.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain effective communication with patients, the interdisciplinary team, VA medical centers, and other agencies.
• Assist with communications during inpatient-to-outpatient discharge and communicate with non-VA medical facilities.
• Facilitate and process secure messaging between patients and the care team, and notify patients of normal laboratory results.
• Develop and manage tracking systems for follow-up care, including consults and tests.
• Participate in team huddles and meetings to manage and plan patient care, share information, and support continuity of care.
• Schedule patient appointments and set priorities and deadlines, adjusting work flow and sequencing to meet team and patient needs.
• Work with the team to reinforce plans of care and self-help solutions, and enter appropriate information into the electronic record.
• Monitor pre-appointment requirements to ensure readiness for visits and procedures, such as X-rays and laboratory work.
• Manage the electronic wait list to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues.
• Provide input on operational problems or procedures in team meetings and perform administrative follow-up actions.
• Evaluate patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether patients are vested.
• Educate providers about shared patients receiving care at multiple VAs or in the community, and bring relevant information to providers' attention.
• Plan and organize work, complete analysis requirements, reports, and special assignments within applicable time frames, and refer non-routine or highly technical problems to the supervisor.
• Report backlogs, deadline difficulties, uncooperative physicians, and difficulty obtaining information from clinicians or records.
• Maintain the confidentiality of information obtained while performing assigned duties.
• Communicate routinely with physicians, case managers, and other allied health professionals using sound interpersonal skills.
• Perform other duties as assigned by management.

Benefits

• Federal annual leave accrual, with the rate based on years of federal service; eligible applicants may request credit for prior work or military service, subject to approval.
• Federal employee benefits are available, with eligibility dependent on position type and other applicable factors.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed