The MSA (Medical Support Assistant) is responsible for greeting patients, interviewing patients for appointments, answering phones, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit, and scheduling appointments including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.

Duties

The MSA works collaboratively with providers and performs clerical duties, customer service and other duties as assigned for the proper and timely treatment of patients. Clerical duties include but not limited to: Maintains appointment schedules for appointments, Schedules appointments from Orders, consults, recall requests. Receives phone calls from patients, and appropriately documents need and makes referrals for clinical needs as appropriate. Uses standard tools to accomplish the work including VSE, consult toolbox, and CPRS and to ensure that the data input is verifiable, accurate and complete. Supports patient safety standards using the correct Veterans Affairs identification of all patients using two forms of identification, name, and Social Security Number. The patient may also present the Veterans Healthcare Identification Card (VHIC) for identification. He/she must use each interaction with the patient to validate and update patient demographic information, either in-person during check-in or over the phone, to decrease the incidence of returned mail due to incorrect addresses and inability to contact patient by phone due to incorrect number. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm. Functional Statement #: 623A-54007-A

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: 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 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. 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). Grandfathering Provision: All MSAs employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, [which] are [a] part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: (1) Such employees may be reassigned, promoted, or [changed to a lower grade] within the occupation. Grade Determinations: Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-04 grade level. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: [scheduling and rescheduling patients for treatment; interviewing patients for appointments; referring patients to other medical specialty clinics; providing information to patients necessary to resolve VA Handbook complaints;] interacting with both internal and external customers; [reviewing] and [documenting] medical outpatient and inpatient [electronic health records], as well as administrative records; verifying third party insurance and updating information in the Insurance Capture Buffer (ICB) system; obtaining medical information from patients; coordinating information and actions related to patient care and services; and scheduling appointments in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. [MSAs at this level refer] all questions [regarding] medical attention to [the] appropriate health care team member. OR Education: Four years of education above high school AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate [all of] the KSAs below: i. 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. ii. [Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.] iii. Ability to [schedule medical] appointments in a clinical setting. iv. Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties [performing patient support work]. v. Ability to communicate effectively and professionally [in person, electronically, and/or by telephone], with [internal and external customers]. vi. [Skill in customer service with the ability] to identify [customer] concerns, [and refer] to the [appropriate staff], as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-05.

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 VA Eastern Oklahoma Health Care System 1011 Honor Heights Drive Muskogee, OK 74401 US
• Name: VISN 19 HR Contact Center
• Phone: 719-227-4600
• Email: [email protected]