The Medical Support Assistant performs various support duties that facilitate the work of physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nursing assistants, and other members of the medical facility who provide patient care. They frequently occupy a single support position located in the clinic/ward. Medical Support Assistants are considered chief sources of information and play an essential role in accomplishing the work of the unit.

Duties

The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) is responsible for evaluating, advising and assisting Veterans who seek inpatient and outpatient services, and requires the knowledge of medical terminology, procedures, and regulations as they pertain to eligibility, scheduling, and administrative responsibilities for inpatient units, outpatient clinics, specialty departments, call centers, and support services. The full performance level (GS-5) 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 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; 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.). Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00 am-4:30 pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: U.S. 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 3j. Basic Experience and Education: Experience: Six months experience of clerical, office, customer service, or other administrative work that indicates the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position. OR Education: One-year above high school. OR Combination of Experience and Education: Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. Grade Determinations: GS-5 MSA (Full Performance Level) - In addition to the basic requirements listed above, applicants at the GS-5 grade level must also meet the following requirements: Experience:One-year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-4). Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to MSA experience or equivalent administrative clinical support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting. OR Education: Four years of education above high school. AND In addition to the experience/education, your resume MUST demonstrate all the below Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). Ability to operate computerized programs and systems 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 enough 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 satisfactory resolution. To be creditable, any experience claimed for consideration must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with current MSA responsibilities or an equivalent administrative patient support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment as an MSA or an equivalent position in a non-VA hospital or clinic setting. We cannot assume anything. If you would like credit for your experience, please make sure you list the Job Title, dates of employment, work schedule (full-time or part-time or list number of hours), and a complete list of the duties you performed for each job. References: VA Handbook 5005 Part II Appendix G45, Medical Support Assistant Qualification Standard The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-5. Physical Requirements: Most of the work is sedentary and involves data entry into a computer. Must be able to communicate with the veteran patient, their family, and staff. May involve carrying light loads such as paper files.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Robert J Dole VA Medical and Regional Office Center 5500 East Kellogg Drive Wichita, KS 67218 US
• Name: Vincent Hodgdon
• Phone: 3166852221 X51400
• Email: [email protected]