This Medical Support Assistant (MSA) position is in the Health Administration Service of the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System located in Biloxi, MS. Position is physically located at the Pensacola JACC in Pensacola, FL

Duties

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, and tests. 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; 7:30am to 3:30pm. Will be discussed upon interview Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 520-00695-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 including experience such as recording patient messages and understanding physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care in internal or external clinics and using various types of office automation equipment and software; 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 Biloxi VA Medical Center 400 Veterans Avenue Biloxi, MS 39531 US
• Name: Susie Bryan
• Phone: 918-348-9281
• Email: [email protected]