Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Full Job Description

The Primary Purpose of the Position is: To perform administrative and clerical support work relating to the care and treatment given to patients of the inpatient units, outpatient clinics, and ancillary support services at these facilities.

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.

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.

Experience: Six months experience of clerical, office, customer service, or other administrative work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position; OR Education: One year above high school.

OR Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.

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: GS-06 Advanced Medical Support Assistant GS-06 -One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level.

Examples of experience may include, but not limited to: 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 heck-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.).

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: i.

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.

ii. Ability to independently] set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations. iii.

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. iv.

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.

v.

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.vi.

Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.

Preferred Experience: Previous Clinical Experience Previous Experience Scheduling: Appointments, Cancellations, Labs, Xray Previous experience providing customer service and resolving informal complaints Previous experience Verifying and updating insurance Previous experience working in a team environment Previous experience working independently Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary.

Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work.

Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site.

Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds. Major Duties:

The Advanced MSA provides specialized and expert 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; manages a system for follow-up care such as consults, tests, etc.) Other assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: processes incoming patient secure messaging through MyHealthyVet and coordinates with care team as appropriate; participates 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; setting priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs; identifies incomplete encounters and communicates findings to providers; as needed; enters appropriate information into the electronic record; monitors pre-appointment information and/or requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure; manages patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues; evaluates patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether the patient requires an immediate appointment; informs team members about shared patients.

Answers questions such as those dealing with the patient's eligibility for services, availability of appointments, procedures for obtaining an appointment, requests for appointments and/or appointment changes.

Schedules, cancels, reschedules, follow-up and/or consult appointments. Processes emergency and nonemergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals.

Monitors, request, scan, and updates patient insurance information via insurance buffer software (ICB-NTX-live) and or the Pre-registration program.

Verifies, updates, and confirms current demographic information, and use of Integrated Scheduling System (ISS) and/or Veterans Health Information and Technology Architecture (Vista) software packages- preregistration menu when patient's check-in for their scheduled or unscheduled appointment.

Enters information such as clinic appointment, no-show, clinic or patient cancellation data into the ISS or Vista information system(s) and software.

Generates a variety of documents/reports for the clinic/section. Provides clinical staff with clinic availability profiles to improve and compliment Access.

Informs patient about the benefits of My HealtheVet in-person authentication and direct patients to areas associated with the program to be registered.

Provides comprehensive on the job training to new and existing staff in their respective area of responsibility as needed.

Establishes and maintains office records and information, files of various types that may be needed or with assist in the efficient operation of the facility.

Requisitions needed office supplies, materials, and services.

Uses the Integrated Scheduling System (ISS) or Vista information system and databases or spreadsheet software to schedule appointments; create, enter, revise, sort or calculate, and retrieve data for reports; review alerts from providers; and enter patients' appointment data, providers' labs, pharmacy and/or radiology request, and annotate/update patient record.

Demonstrates Courtesy and Professionalism. Applies Knowledge of Medical Terminology. Maintains patient confidentiality with written and verbal information, per HIPAA requirements.

Completes all other assigned duties. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm, or 8:00am - 4:30pm, based on the needs of the service.

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: #50525-F VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional