This Medical Support Assistant (MSA) position is in the Health Administration Service of the G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center located in Jackson, MS.

Duties

This is the Full Performance Level Medical Support Assistant (MSA) position that serves as an inpatient MSA and performs clerical support as part of the clinical treatment for patients in an inpatient ward or other long or short-term unit of the medical facility. The duties of the Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) may include but are not limited to: Scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient's appointments and/or consults Interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines Entering no show information Monitoring the electronic wait list Preparing for clinic visits Monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments for areas of responsibility Ensuring encounter forms are completed in order to obtain appropriate workload credit Verifying and updating demographics and insurance information Processing all emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals Performing basic eligibility, co-pays and preauthorization requirements for specific coverage (i.e., TRICARE, sharing agreements, etc.) Admitting, directing, transferring, and discharging patients Receiving calls, performing data entry into VistA, CPRS and BMS Building and updating medical records Coordinating patients' appointments to X-ray, Lab, EKG, and other clinics Synchronizing the daily activities of the ward with the charge nurse Providing information to various medical staff on the patient's clinics appointments Receiving patients and their families in person or over the telephone Operating Extended Care and Hospice Units, Domiciliary Units, and Substance Abuse Units Providing general information regarding visiting hours, and medical center policies on visitors Directing patients and visitors to resources requested Responding to all emergent situations such as codes, procedures and orders which are urgent/stat in origin Responding to technical questions regarding patient rights, responsibilities, and advance directives Signing for release of patient funds for purchase of services and secures coupons for services in a safe on each unit Printing and updating the electronic inpatient ward rosters, current inpatient list, and inpatient appointment list Maintaining the Ward Gains and Losses log Transcribing transcribes all doctors' orders and alerts staff for time critical medications, labs, xrays, and EKG's electronically. Transcribing doctors' handwritten or electronic orders onto the appropriate medication, pre-op, or treatment sheets manually for nursing staff Verifying and correcting patient information in the computer systems concerning treating specialties, providers, and times of movements Work Schedule: Sunday - Saturday 7:30 am. to 4:00 pm. rotating Days and schedules may vary; will be discussed upon interview. Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 586-00132-F. 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 Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. Certification. None required. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. English Language Proficiency. Medical Support Assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Policy. 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. In a 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. 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. OR, (b) Education. Four 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. **Resume must include hours per week for work experience credit.** References: VA Handbook 5005/117 Part II, Appendix G45 VA Qualification Standard for Medical Support Assistant, GS-0679. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-05. Physical Requirements: May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, pulling, and pushing.

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: 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.

Contacts

• Address GV Sonny Montgomery VAMC 1500 East Woodrow Wilson Drive Jackson, MS 39216 US
• Name: Mayte Bartlett-Morris
• Phone: 318-458-0766
• Email: [email protected]