Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Veterans Health Administration • Alexandria, LA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) provides administrative support to the Psychiatry, Psychology, and Social Work services patient care team. At the full-performance level, the role performs a full range of medical support duties, including scheduling appointments and interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VA national scheduling guidelines. The position supports patient access and care coordination in an office/clinic setting, where several tasks may need to be handled at once, sometimes in stressful situations.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and may change based on agency needs. Telework and virtual work are not available. This is a permanent position, and the full-performance level is GS-06. The selected employee will be required to serve a one- or two-year trial period.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, except where non-citizen appointment is permitted under VA policy when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a state- or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
• One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade for the GS-06 grade determination.
• Advanced knowledge of technical healthcare processes related to access to care, including interdisciplinary coordinated care scheduling and/or care-in-the-community models and patient healthcare portals.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures for coordinated 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.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate with medical clinicians across multiple disciplines to support team goals and patient care.
• Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines while complying with established processes, policies, and regulations.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively with internal and external customers electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing.
• Must complete required background/security investigation, onboarding, pre-employment physical evaluation, and applicable drug testing.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required; may also be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period.

Nice To Haves

• Computer literacy.
• Customer service experience.

Responsibilities

• Schedule, cancel, and reschedule patient appointments and consults; enter no-show information; and monitor the electronic wait list.
• Prepare for clinic visits and monitor inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility.
• Ensure encounter forms are completed to obtain appropriate workload credit.
• Verify and update patient demographics and insurance information.
• Process emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals.
• Perform basic eligibility checks for healthcare and travel benefits, copayments, and preauthorization requirements for specific coverage, such as TRICARE and sharing agreements.
• Set priorities and deadlines and adjust work flow and sequencing to meet team and Veteran needs.
• Participate in team meetings and huddles, provide input on operational problems or procedures, and perform administrative follow-up actions.
• Make pre-appointment telephone calls and post-appointment calls to patients who did not attend appointments.
• Document patient contacts in the Computerized Patient Record System using administrative progress notes.

Benefits

• Competitive salary with regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered for higher or unique qualifications or VA special 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 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 with qualifying family income may receive a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, up to 25% of eligible childcare costs and a monthly maximum of $416.66.
• 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 can be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

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