Medical Support Assistant

Summary This Medical Support Assistant position is in the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System of the Medical Administration Service located in Biloxi, MS. Duties Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. The duties of the Medical Support Assistant include but are not limited to: Coordinating with the with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability and utilization Ensuring clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics Developing and maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary team, VA Medical Centers, and other agencies Assisting with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge Communicating with non-VA medical facilities Facilitating/Processing secure messaging with the patient and team Notifying patients of normal lab results Developing and managing a tracking system for follow up care such as consults, tests, etc. Participating in team huddles and team meetings to manage and plan patient care Identifying incomplete encounters and communicate findings to clinical team members Working with the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions Entering appropriate information into the electronic record Monitoring pre-appointment requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure Managing consult requests, recall reminders, VA Online Scheduling requests, secure messaging, and Electronic Wait Lists Participating and providing input in problem solving on operational issues or procedures in team meetings Performing administrative follow up actions Participating in and independently following up on team huddles Evaluating patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether patient is vested Educating providers about shared patients Registering new patients for care when necessary to facilitate same day appointment scheduling Updating patient demographic data Collecting insurance information Negotiating appointments during checkout Scheduling follow-up/ consult appointments Entering recall reminder requests Contacting patients that fail to appear for scheduled appointments Interpreting and Communicating requirements of national and local scheduling directives, policies, and procedures Scheduling all appointments in a timely manner with patient input Ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations Reading and responding to work related messages in a timely manner Work Schedule: Typically Monday - Friday, 6:00am - 2:30pm; Subject to Change Based on Agency Need. To be discussed at interview. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year). Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 520-00695-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. May be required to complete pre-employment physical evaluation. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications 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 License/Certification/Registration. None required. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Grade Determinations: In addition to the Basic Requirements, your resume must demonstrate you possess the required experience necessary to possess the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) required for each grade level. Resume must include hours per week for work experience credit. GS-05: (a) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-04 grade level. To qualify for this position, you must demonstrate in your resume that you have experience that includes the ability to meet, communicate, and interact with individuals from varying backgrounds, ability to use, and navigate between, various types of office automation, knowledge of basic medical terminology and skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests. OR, (b) Education. Two years of education above high school. Transcript must be submitted. (c) 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 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 appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; 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.). (d) 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. Preferred Experience: Strong organizational skills with ability to prioritize and manage multiple competing tasks. A high degree of personal and professional accountability, maturity, stability, and the ability to function independently and work effectively as a team with internal and external personnel. Ability to adapt to changing work assignments as needed to meet facility needs. 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-05. Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items. Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations. Education Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs. Additional information Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.