Medical Support Assistant

Summary

The incumbent performs both routine and complex administrative and miscellaneous clerical duties as assigned with general administrative support from Prosthetic management.

Duties

DUTIES: The incumbent performs both routine and complex administrative and miscellaneous clerical duties as assigned with general administrative support from Prosthetic management. Incumbent is responsible for 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, cancelling, and re-scheduling patient's appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; preparing for clinic visits; monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments for areas of responsibility; ensuring encounter information is completed in order to obtain appropriate workload credit; and verifying and updating demographics and insurance information. The incumbent will perform assigned duties to facilitate efficient daily operations, providing support to clinical lab practitioners and will participate in meetings, briefings, and/or daily huddles. The incumbent will manage the daily flow of service by coordinating administrative services for veterans and their family members and caregivers. The incumbent will also be responsible for providing durable medical equipment to Veterans and/or providers presenting to the service as needed and posting stock issues. The incumbent is responsible for proactive behaviors in preventing, identifying, and reporting unsafe patient care situations. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am -4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not available Telework: ADHOC ONLY Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo

Qualifications

Basic Requirements. Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.g.). 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. Documentation Requirements for Proof of High School Completion or higher: If using post-high school education to substitute for experience at the GS-04 or GS-05, you must submit a copy of your unofficial or official college transcript with your application. If selected, to meet the basic requirement of high school education or equivalent and prior to a firm job offer being extended, applicants must provide one of the following as verification of the education requirement if not covered under the grandfathering provision. Copy of high school diploma OR high school transcript (unofficial or official) OR GED Certificate OR homeschooling completion OR proficiency certificate issued by a State or Territorial Board or Department of Education OR college transcript (official) Certification. None required. Grandfathering Provision. See under Education section. Foreign Education. See under Education section. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. English Language Proficiency. MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.j. GRADE REQUIREMENTS: See under Education section. 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, GS-03. (1) Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements. (2) Assignment. Employees at this grade level serve in a MSA entry-level developmental position. This is an entry level MSA position. It is expected that MSAs at this level will receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision. At this level, MSAs apply general rules and policies relating to clinic functions, staff, and automated data processing methods in support of treatment to patients. They utilize a variety of patient data systems in scheduling patients for treatment and annotate patient records. They perform front desk duties, receive telephone call, and visitors to the MSA unit. They make and cancel appointments, review patient records for necessary information, and review patient demographics and insurance verification. They consult with clinic staff when processing physician scheduling and administrative orders. Medical Support Assistant, GS-04. Experience or Education. Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.; OR Education. One year of education above high school. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of basic medical terminology to assist in the provision of care to patients. (b) Skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care in internal or external clinics. (c) 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. (d) 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. Assignment. This is a developmental level MSA position. It is expected that MSAs at this level will receive minor and less frequent guidance from higher experienced staff members for more difficult tasks. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: scheduling and rescheduling patients for treatment; interviewing patients for appointments; referring patients to other medical specialty clinics; providing information to patients necessary to resolve VA Handbook complaints; interacting with both internal and external customers; reviewing and documenting medical outpatient and inpatient electronic health records, as well as administrative records; verifying third party insurance and updating information in the Insurance Capture Buffer (ICB) system; obtaining medical information from patients; coordinating information and actions related to patient care and services; and scheduling appointments in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. MSAs at this level refer all questions regarding medical attention to the appropriate health care team member. Medical Support Assistant, GS-05. Experience or Education. Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade; OR Education. Two years of education above high school. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients. (b) Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution. (c) 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. (d) Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting. (e) Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient su