This position is located within the Business Office Department at the Hampton VA Medical Center in Hampton, Virginia.

Duties

Position serves as a Medical Support Assistant (MSA) in the Patient Advocate Office at the Hampton VAMC in Hampton, Virginia. The incumbent 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. This position has the responsibility to attend 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. The incumbent's role is to ascertain 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. 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. Incumbent provides information about the organization, its functions, and activities. Incumbent provides the assistance requested to ease the experience of the customer. Incumbent 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. The incumbent takes accurate messages and ensures their delivery to support a responsive culture to the customer. Incumbent provides personal wayfinding assistance and often take Veterans and visitors to locations when they have difficulties with instructions provided. He/she provides excellent customer service via the telephone and face to face simultaneously. Incumbent ensures customers are greeted with respect and dignity. Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required.

Requirements

Qualifications

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: (1) 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 (2) Education - One year above high school; or (3) Experience/Education - Equivalent combination of experience and education. 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. 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-03 - Experience or Education - None beyond the basic requirements and candidates must demonstrate allof 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-04 - 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; ~OR~ Two years of education above high school and candidates must demonstrate allof 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-05 (Full Performance) - One year of experience equivalent to the GS-04 ~OR~ -4 years of education above High School and candidates must demonstrate allof 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. References: For additional information, please refer to VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G45 Medical Support Assistant Qualification Standards, GS-0679, dated August 1, 2019. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-5. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to GS-5. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary and does not require special physical demands. There may be walking, standing, or carrying.

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 Hampton VA Medical Center 100 Emancipation Drive Hampton, VA 23667 US
• Name: Antonio Deans
• Phone: 951-234-6167
• Email: [email protected]