Medical Support Assistant-Rehabilitation & Extended Care Service

Veterans Health Administration • Saint Cloud, MN

5d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is in the Rehabilitation & Extended Care Service (REC) Line at the St. Cloud VA Health Care System and is the first administrative point-of-contact for patients and family members. The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) position involves technical work concerned with the day-to-day administrative functions within the Rehabilitation Department. The position provides administrative support to clinic staff members and patients.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Must complete all required steps in the process
• Must complete an online assessment
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement
• Will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period
• High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education
• Proficient in spoken and written English
• Ability to meet, communicate, and interact with individuals from varying backgrounds and other health care team members in a courteous and helpful manner in order to facilitate medical care for patients
• Ability to use, and navigate between, various types of office automation equipment and software (i.e. computer systems, web based scheduling programs; insurance collection system; scanning software, multiple line phone systems; electronic faxing programs) to support patient care
• Knowledge of basic medical terminology to assist in the provision of care to patients
• Skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care in internal or external clinics
• Ability to operate computerized programs and systems in order to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient identifying information (PII) into or from electronic health records, scheduling systems, and/or reports
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients
• Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting
• Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone, with internal and external customers
• Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution

Nice To Haves

• One year of education above high school (for GS-4)
• One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade (for GS-4)
• Two years of education above high school (for GS-5)
• One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade (for GS-5)

Responsibilities

• Scheduling, cancelling, rescheduling patients appointments and/or consults
• Entering no-show information
• Monitoring the unable to schedule list
• Preparing for clinic visits
• Monitoring outpatient appointments for areas of responsibility
• Ensuring encounter forms are completed in order to obtain appropriate workload credit
• Verifying and updating demographics and insurance information
• Processing all emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals
• Working directly with patients who have been instructed to request a new appointment to schedule and provide patient instructions on test preparation, diets and procedural requirements
• Seeking out available appointments with multiple staff members and services to coordinate Telehealth appointments
• Programs the VistA printer to generate notices to outpatients concerning failed and rescheduled appointments
• Reviews output to ensure that appropriate information is generated and ensures that inappropriate letters are discarded
• Utilizes and follows up on Audio Care Reminder calls
• Produces and distributes daily schedules to professional staff
• Pre-registration as needed with checking patients in for appointments
• Receives, interviews, and routes individuals for either inpatient or outpatient care to the appropriate care team or setting
• Maintains daily contact with professional services personnel giving outpatient/inpatient care to ensure the best possible liaison between patient and health care system personnel
• Accepts telephone calls from Veterans, relatives, service officers, etc. regarding outpatient/inpatient treatment and transportation
• Receives and responds to unclear inquiries concerning a variety of medical, personnel, and administrative matters
• Determines general nature of inquiry and independently responds to all administrative questions
• Recognizes and refers urgent inquiries to professional staff for immediate action
• Reviews medical records of outpatients/inpatients to ensure that requested appointments are made for the professional staff and diagnostic services
• Schedules and receives consults based on established scheduling policies and procedures from VHA directive for outpatient clinic scheduling
• Utilizes Appointment Management Supervisor Menu to accurately and appropriately to facilitate efficient scheduling of appointments
• Update, review, and utilize the Unable to Schedule list to accurately reflect patients waiting to schedule an appointment
• Processes all health care providers orders accurately
• Seeks clarification of orders when appropriate
• Promptly and accurately initiates and checks on status of referrals, lab and x-ray procedures, completing required forms with appropriate patient identification
• Makes numerous calls each day to coordinate information and actions relating to patient care and services
• Relays information and requests from the patients to the treatment team and within the treatment team
• Ensures that escort services and transportation are properly arranged
• Pages and locates clinic staff for patient services and consultation
• Accurately and timely performs clerical work in support of the care and treatment given to patients such as receiving patients or maintaining patient files
• Performs clerical level work to procure supplies and services to meet the procurement requirements of the unit or department
• Processes incoming and outgoing materials such as correspondence, reports, memoranda, and other forms of written communication
• Edit letters, composes letters and reports, reviews correspondence for accuracy and completeness, transcribes meeting minutes and replies to inquiries
• Actively seeks and schedules Telehealth services for appropriate and active Telehealth services
• Assists in mentoring students or training new or less experienced employees

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package
• Federal employees earn annual leave
• Credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work experience or military service experience

What This Job Offers

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