Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Veterans Health Administration • Cleveland, OH

12d • Onsite

About The Position

The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is recruiting a Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) for Patient Care Administrative Service (PCAS), Patient Transfer Center (PTC). The role supports patient care administration by scheduling appointments, coordinating with care teams, monitoring clinic utilization and readiness, and managing follow-up care and patient access. The Medical Support Assistant communicates with patients, interdisciplinary teams, VA medical centers, non-VA facilities, and other agencies to support continuity of care. The position requires independent work under general supervision, with escalation of non-routine or highly technical problems to a supervisor.

The work schedule is 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, with rotating weekends and holidays required. Telework and virtual work are not available. Relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change of station authorization are not available.

Applicants must meet the stated citizenship, English proficiency, education, and experience requirements. The GS-6 grade requires one year of experience equivalent to GS-5, along with all listed knowledge, skills, and abilities. The position is in the Excepted Service and includes a 1- or 2-year trial period. Selected applicants must complete an online assessment and onboarding process and meet the specified pre-employment requirements.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA policy exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or state or territorial proficiency certificate.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• For GS-6, one year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level.
• Experience operating computerized programs and systems to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient-identifying information in electronic health records, scheduling systems, or reports.
• Knowledge of medical terminology sufficient to understand diagnoses and procedures and communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.
• Experience scheduling medical appointments in a clinical setting.
• Ability to work independently on a wide variety of patient support duties.
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and by telephone with internal and external customers.
• Ability to provide customer service, identify customer concerns, and refer them to appropriate staff for resolution.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate with a broad range of medical clinicians across multiple disciplines to accomplish team goals and meet patient care needs.
• Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines and comply with processes, policies, and regulations.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively with internal and external customers, including preparing reports, presenting data, and resolving patient concerns.
• Advanced knowledge of technical healthcare processes, including scheduling across interdisciplinary care delivery and community care models and patient health care portals as they relate to access to care.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures for interdisciplinary coordinated care and community care operations affecting patient flow and administrative support, including appointment cycles, outside referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, and provider availability.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology.
• U.S. citizenship, completion of required application steps and online assessment, and successful completion of applicable background/security and onboarding requirements.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
• Must serve a 1- or 2-year trial period, subject to the conditions described in the announcement.

Responsibilities

• Schedule patient appointments.
• Coordinate with the patient care team to review clinic utilization, monitor clinic setup, and recommend actions to support compliance and appropriate access.
• Communicate with patients, interdisciplinary teams, VA medical centers, non-VA medical facilities, and other agencies to support care coordination and transitions between inpatient and outpatient care.
• Facilitate and process secure messaging between patients and care teams, and notify patients of appointments.
• Manage tracking systems for follow-up care, including Return to Clinic Orders, recalls, consults, and tests.
• Participate in team huddles and meetings to plan and manage patient care.
• Set priorities and deadlines and adjust work flow and sequencing to meet team and patient needs.
• Reinforce care plans and self-help solutions with patients and enter appropriate information into the electronic record.
• Monitor pre-appointment requirements and manage the electronic wait list to verify accuracy and resolve issues.
• Provide input on operational issues and procedures in team meetings and complete administrative follow-up actions.
• Follow up on team huddles, share information, and collaborate with medical teams to support continuity of care.
• Evaluate patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether patients are vested.
• Inform providers about shared patients who receive care at multiple VA facilities or in the community.
• Plan and organize work to meet local and VA-wide deadlines for analysis, reports, and special assignments; refer non-routine and highly technical problems to the supervisor.
• Report backlogs, deadline difficulties, uncooperative physicians, and difficulty obtaining information from clinicians or records.
• Maintain confidentiality of information obtained in carrying out duties.
• Communicate routinely with physicians, case managers, and other allied health professionals using sound interpersonal skills and appropriate care with sensitive information.
• Make decisions independently using guidelines, precedents, and regulations, requiring only minimal supervision.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package available to eligible employees and their families; specific benefits depend on position type.
• Selected applicants may qualify to receive credit for prior work or military service toward annual leave accrual, subject to request and approval.

What This Job Offers

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