Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Summary

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant provides work relating to the care and treatment of patients in inpatient units, outpatient clinics, patient scheduling call centers, Care in the Community Support Staff, and ancillary support services. Incumbent serves as a point of contact for the units, clinics, patient, call centers, CitC, to include but not limited to; scheduling appointments, tracking, reviewing, and responding to electronic orders, consults, and other elements in the record.

Duties

VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo This is an Open Continuous Announcement and will remain open until September 30, 2026. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be August 28, 2026, with subsequent cut-off dates as requests are received. Eligible applications received will be referred as vacancies occur or on an as-needed basis until positions are filled. Duties include but are not limited to: Perform difficult and responsible specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model Use of a wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and/or care in the community resources Recommend changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines Utilize numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics involved in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model Coordinate with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability (utilization) to ensure that clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics, and makes adjustments as necessary Develop and/or maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies (e.g., assist with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge Communicate with non-VA medical facilities Prepare correspondence to notify patients of normal lab results Manage a system for follow-up care such as consults, tests, etc.) Process incoming patient secure messaging and coordinate with care team as appropriate Participate in team huddles and team meetings to manage, plan, problem solve, and follow-up with patient care by sharing information and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team Set priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs Identify incomplete encounters and communicates findings to providers; as needed Assist the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions Enter appropriate information into the electronic record Monitor pre-appointment information and/or requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure Manage patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues Evaluate patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether the patient requires an immediate appointment Inform team members about shared patients (i.e., those who receive their care at multiple VA centers or those who receive care in the community) Work Schedule: Typically administrative in nature (Monday - Friday) but may include Saturday coverage as needed. Individual schedules will be discussed during the interview process and are subject to change based on the needs of the Agency. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Varies dependent on service line and position number Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. The following are requirements for appointment or placement as a Medical Support Assistant (MSA) in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). These requirements apply to all VHA MSAs in the General Schedule (GS)-0679 Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Experience: None. Education: High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education. Verification of this education is required. Licensure/Certification/Registration: None May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for placement at grade levels specified. Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-06. Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade. This experience may include but is not limited to: Advise clinical staff on current administrative processes. Answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit, and scheduling appointments, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. Scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; participating in huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic, monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when patients check-in for appointments. Coordinate administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals and determines appointment type based on the patient's eligibility status (i.e., TRICARE, sharing agreements, collaterals, research patient, VA employee, etc.). Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process (including, but not limited to, scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community models and patient health care portals) as it relates to access to care. Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community operational activities that affect patient flow, and patient support care administrative functions to include, but not limited to appointment cycles, outside patient referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, provider availability, etc. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians. Ability to collaborate and communicate with a wide range of medical clinicians across multiple disciplines (e.g., medical doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, clinical pharmacists, and nursing staff) to accomplish team goal setting to ensure medical care to patients is met. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance 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 in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels, as well as resolving patient concerns. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of