The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) supports multiple areas within the Outpatient Clinics, Health Administration Services and Call Centers. Duties mainly support the overall management and coordination of appointments for Veterans within all Medical Centers or community clinics. Duties also may include scheduling for COVID-19 Vaccine administration activities. This position is only open to those who are internal to the Southern Arizona VA Hospital.

Duties

Located in the in-patient clinical wards, admissions and emergency department; the Medical Support Assistant (MSA) is responsible for initiating and carrying out a variety of administrative duties in support of patient care within in-patient units/ wards, admissions and emergency department. The MSA is responsible for the overall management, coordination and administration of all hospital admissions and accommodation activities. MSAs are to be proficient in all appointment scheduling functions. This position provides support work regarding the care and treatment given to patients in the emergency department, admissions, ward and other such units as assigned. MSAs perform a variety of support duties that facilitate the work of physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nursing assistants, and other members of the medical facility who provide patient care in reference to admissions, patient movement and discharges. The work involves duties such as serving as a ward receptionist, performing record duties, performing provider and treating specialty changes, receiving and relaying messages/information, obtains any prior treatment records needed by theprofessional staff; bed assignment changes within the unit; keeps current with nursing staff on all patient actions and movements; performs daily validation of ward census and ward rosters assisting with transportation for patient exams, assisting with patient transfers internal/external, referring patients for means testing, answering routine inquiries, making appropriate referral of questions concerning patients' conditions, recognizing and referring urgent inquiries to appropriate professional staff, contacts Social Workers and Case Workers on behalf of nurses/patients for personnel and discharge planning needs; contacts the travel office and AOD for transfer/discharges; contacts escort section for off-ward diagnostic and treatment procedures; updated Bed Management System (BMS), compiles ward morning report on a daily basis and provides information to admitting staff (ARC, SCO, and AOD's) on bed availability, and providing miscellaneous support to the medical staff of the unit. Responsible for making initial contact with the operator for emergencies such as fire, cardiac arrest, Code Blue/Green, and death situations by directing personnel, acting on emergency orders as appropriate. The work requires a practical knowledge of computerized data entry and information processing systems, the medical facility's organization and services, basic rules and regulations governing visitors and patient treatment, and a practical knowledge of the standard procedures, medical records, and medical terminology of the unit supported.The Medical Support Assistant is also responsible for initiating and carrying out a variety of administrative duties in support of COVID-19 Vaccine Administration and regular appointment activities. Serves as the administrative contact for Veterans and visitors. This position is established to support the facility's COVID-19 response. Major duties include but are not limited to: Responsible for scheduling appointments, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. Preparing for clinic visits; monitoring outpatient appointments for areas of responsibility; ensuring encounter forms are completed in order to obtain appropriate workload credit. Performing basic eligibility, co-pays and preauthorization requirements for specific coverage. Makes computer entries to record arrival of patients to the vaccine clinic. Keeps current with nursing staff on patient actions and movements in the clinic. Monitoring the electric wait list and entering no-show information. Work Schedule: Multiple work schedules available, and are generally M-F during business hours. Exact shifts to be discussed with Supervisor. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: 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. 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 3.j. Experience and Education: Six months experience: 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 Education. One year above high school; or Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. GS-5 MSA (Full Performance Level)Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-4 OR Education: Four years of education above high school, OR Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): 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. 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 national 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; 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.). References: VA Handbook 5005/53, Part II, Appendix G45, Medical Support Assistant GS-679. Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds; Light carrying, under 15 pounds; Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; walking up to 1 hour; Hearing (aid permitted);

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/.

Contacts

• Address Tucson VA Medical Center 3601 South Sixth Avenue Tucson, AZ 85723 US
• Name: Austin Hoglund
• Phone: (602) 877-4927
• Email: [email protected]