Medical Support Assistant (Redcoat Ambassador)

Full Job Description

This position is under the Patient Advocate Office at the Hampton VAMC located at the North Battlefield CBOC and reports to the Customer Experience Manager and works with staff across the Medical Center ensuring problem resolution and patient satisfaction.

The incumbent represents the facility in providing guidance to individuals to the appropriate service or office and giving and/or clarifying information to help the staff or visitor access the appropriate service.

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 and Education: 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.

Grade Determinations: GS-3 MSA: Experience or Education: None beyond the basic requirements. Assignment. This is an entry level MSA position.

It is expected that MSAs at this level 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 annotates patient records. They perform front desk duties, receives 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.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Candidates must demonstrate the KSAs below: Ability to meet, communicate, and interact with individuals in a courteous and helpful manner in order to give instructions and arrange appointments.

Ability to utilize computer systems to enter administrative data in patient systems.

Ability to learn and utilize basic medical terminology to record patient messages and physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care.

GS-4 MSA: Experience: One year of experience in 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; Education: Two years of education above high school.

Assignment. This is a developmental level MSA position. It is expected that MSAs at this level 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.

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

GS-5 MSA: Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level(GS-4) OR Education. Four years of education above high school. Assignment.

This is the full performance level for MSAs. At this level, the MSA independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare 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, 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, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: 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 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).

Preferred Experience: The incumbent performs customer service guest relations, shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, cooperation, concern, politeness respect and dignity to others; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations.

Incumbent receives, greets and direct callers over the telephone and in person with precise clear instructions.

Reference: Medical Support Assistant Qualification Standard, GS-0679, VA Handbook 5005/117, Part II, Appendix G45.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-05.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-03 to GS-05.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary and does not require special physical demands. There may be walking, standing, or carrying. Major Duties:

Reports to the Customer Experience Manager and works with staff across the Medical Center ensuring problem resolution and patient satisfaction.

Represents the facility in providing guidance to individuals to the appropriate service or office and giving and/or clarifying information to help the staff or visitor access the appropriate service.

Attends to the immediate needs/questions of the patients, their families and visitors. However, the incumbent is not a clinical subject matter expert, case worker, counselor, or clinician.

Ascertains the needs of the customers and help all personnel involved to understand and relate to the patient as an individual.

This work contributes to the effort to provide enhanced customer service in an environment of continuous quality improvement.

Performs customer service guest relations, shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, cooperation, concern, politeness respect and dignity to others; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations.

Receives, greets and direct callers over the telephone and in person with precise clear instructions. Incumbent provides information about the organization, its functions, and activities.

Incumbent provides the assistance requested to ease the experience of the customer.

Directs Veterans, visitors and callers to appropriate staff member and/or department based on specific request or by determining the nature of the need and initiates service recovery when needed.

Takes accurate messages and ensures their delivery to support a responsive culture to the customer.

Provides personal wayfinding assistance and often take Veterans and visitors to locations when they have difficulties with instructions provided.

Must provides excellent customer service via the telephone and face to face simultaneously. Incumbent ensures customers are greeted with respect and dignity.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required