Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Veterans Health Administration • Honolulu, HI

12d • Onsite

About The Position

The Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) coordinates clinic cancellations and schedules, including appointment scheduling and changes, arrangements for special studies, inpatient discharges, appointment check-ins and check-outs, consult tracking, verification of provider and treatment orders, and the completeness and accuracy of actions and documentation. The role also arranges patient transportation and relays medical test results to appropriate professional medical staff for immediate action.

The position supports clinic access and patient flow by managing appointments and consults, monitoring waiting and recall lists, preparing for clinic visits, and adjusting schedules when staffing or coverage conflicts occur. The Medical Support Assistant verifies patient demographics and insurance information, supports revenue collection, processes transfers, and provides patients with guidance about eligibility, beneficiary travel, release of information, and non-VA care. The position requires accurate, timely work, strong customer service, and collaboration with clinical and administrative staff.

This is an onsite position. Telework may be authorized on an ad hoc basis at the supervisor’s discretion. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The full performance level is GS-06; the vacancy is at GS-06.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• 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-5 grade level for grade determination.
• Advanced knowledge of technical healthcare processes related to access to care, including scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care and/or community-care models and patient 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 medical clinicians across multiple disciplines to meet team goals and 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 electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing with internal and external customers.
• Must meet pre-employment background/security investigation and onboarding requirements and participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to written certification for continued employment.
• Foreign education used to qualify must be evaluated by a credential-interpretation organization and deemed equivalent to U.S. education.

Responsibilities

• Schedule, cancel, and reschedule patient appointments and consults in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines; enter no-show information and use the Electronic Wait List accurately and promptly.
• Monitor active and pending consults, the Electronic Wait List, recall lists, and Audio Care communications for accuracy and disposition.
• Prepare for clinic visits, monitor inpatient and outpatient appointments, and ensure encounter forms are completed for appropriate workload credit.
• Interpret and verify provider orders, referrals, allergies, and other patient administrative information.
• Adjust clinic appointment times, locations, or dates and shift patients to other providers when staffing or coverage conflicts arise.
• Notify a supervisor when clinic access is inadequate or a patient cannot be scheduled within required timeframes.
• Verify and update patient demographics and insurance information, including identifying third-party insurance and updating insurance information in ICB.
• Process emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals.
• Arrange special studies, inpatient discharges, and patient transportation; complete appointment check-ins and check-outs and track consults.
• Relay medical test results to appropriate medical staff for immediate action.
• Screen and receive telephone calls courteously, determine the nature of requests, and provide information in accordance with privacy rules and clinic processes.
• Provide veterans with guidance on basic medical-care eligibility, priorities for care, beneficiary travel, Release of Information, and the Non-VA Care program.
• Use two forms of patient identification, name and full Social Security Number and/or date of birth, to support patient safety standards.
• Independently organize and prioritize work, meet deadlines, follow directives and policies, and communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.

Benefits

• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, comprising 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, for birth, adoption, or foster-care placement.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to family-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 programs may be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

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