Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Summary

The Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) in the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System performs administrative work relating to the care and treatment given to patients in various units, outpatient clinics, and scheduling call centers located in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Hammond, or Slidell, Louisiana. This is an open continuous announcement until September 30, 2027. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available.

Duties

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) (AMSA) works collaboratively with other members of expanded health care teams performing duties related to the receipt, intake, and indexing of health and administrative information. The primary duties of the AMSA may include but are not limited to: Coordinates with the patient care team to review the clinic utilization by using various reports Receives community care consults via Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) Assures approval process of the consult has been addressed by Community Care Coordination Nurse or VA provider Contacts veterans for the desired community care provider and preference date/time of community care appointment Schedules appropriate level of care following procedures and guidelines Prepares any required pre-appointment documents and monitors pre-appointment requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure Verifies patient attended appointment and obtains medical documentation from community providers Manages electronic wait list to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues Communicates throughout scheduling process to ensure patient, provider, internal/external facility requirements are met Validates and updates patient demographic information to ensure correct contact information is maintained Schedules/reschedules, cancels, no shows, or add on appointments Participates in team huddles and team meetings to manage and plan patient care Work Schedule: Various work schedules available. For example: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Work schedules are subject to change based on the needs of the facility and will be discussed upon interview. Telework: Not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Varies by location. 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. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). Experience and Education. Experience. No experience required Education. High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education. Certification. None required. English Language Proficiency. Medical Support Assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Grandfathering Provision. 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: To qualify for the GS-06 level, your resume must demonstrate you possess the required experience necessary to possess the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) required for the grade. Be specific when describing the job duties that demonstrate you possess the KSAs listed. Resume must include hours per week for work experience credit. Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-06 (a) Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-05 grade level).At the GS-05 grade level, the MSA independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of health care services in an inpatient or outpatient setting. Advises clinical staff on current administrative processes. The MSA is responsible for 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. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: scheduling, canceling, rescheduling 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. Coordinates 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.). (b) Assignment. The Advanced MSA performs ... specialized administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. Work involves specialized administrative judgment and the flexible 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. Recommends changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines. Expertise in utilizing numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics involved in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. Coordinates 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. MSAs at this level 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.). (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition, you must demonstrate ALL of the following KSAs in your resume: 1. 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. 2. 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. 3. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians. 4. 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. 5. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations. 6. Ability to comm