Medical Support Assistant

Summary

The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) is responsible for accurate consult management (including scheduling and documentation in the Consult Toolbox (CTB)) and the coordination of all administrative information between the professional staff, Veteran, community vendor, and Third-Party Administrator (TPA). The MSA performs clerical and administrative support in the care collaboration, and treatment provided to Veterans throughout the CC and Congressional mandated processes.

Duties

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Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Major duties include, but are not limited to the following :

• Independently performs a full range of duties related to delivering healthcare services in an outpatient setting.
• Responsible for answering phones, greeting Veterans, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside the unit, scheduling appointments per VHA national scheduling guidelines and CC processes. Assignments include, but are not limited to; scheduling, canceling, rescheduling Veteran appointments and consults; entering no show information; monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; participating in huddles with other MSAs and / or VA CC staff to determine the daily needs of the team, monitoring outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility when Veterans opt-in for CC.
• Serves in the CC customer service line, either scheduling for the call center or following Veteran scheduling needs. MSA ensures the integrity of various databases and data used in the management of administrative and customer service within the department.
• Understands and appropriately utilizes the administrative support packages, including but not limited to; Computerized Veteran Record System (CPRS), REFDOCS, Release of Information (ROI), VA Online Scheduling (VAOS), Vista, Provider Profile Management System (PPMS), and Health Share Referral Manager (HSRM). Assignments include but are not limited to; scheduling / rescheduling, canceling, providing reception to incoming and outgoing customers, and manual and electronic data entry.
• Responsible for scheduling appointments per the VA Scheduling Directive.
• Independently recognizes the urgency of the consults and schedules care in accordance with the Field Guidebook (FGB).
• Communicate to the Veteran pre-appointment requirements or instructions. Identify and communicate Veteran concerns or needs to be recognized during communications regarding upcoming CC appointments and referral processing.
• Utilizes consult status to support accurate records management as it moves through the approval process from CC to the Vendor.
• Collaborates, communicates, sets priorities, and organizes the work to assist the team in meeting deadlines and ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
• Collaborates with the VA CC RNs when a consult requires clinical guidance during the scheduling process.
• Communicates information between community providers and VA interdisciplinary team timely and clearly to facilitate timely access to care.
• Assists Veterans in rescheduling appointments in cases of missed or no-show appointments.
• Recognizes the importance of scheduling care in the correct sequence and timing when multiple CC appointments are necessary. Effectively coordinates this care when multiple vendors or agencies are involved.
• Knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians. Demonstrates the ability of the specialized health care process as it relates to access to care within the VA and within CC

Work Schedule : Monday - Friday; 8 : 00am - 4 : 30pm

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus) : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance) : Not Authorized

Pay : Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).

Paid Time Off : 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)

Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.

Parental Leave : After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Child Care Subsidy : After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66 .

Retirement : Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA

Insurance : Federal health / vision / dental / term life / long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

Telework : Not Available

Virtual : This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 000000

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider :

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

All qualifying experience you possess must be clearly described in your application package. We will not make assumptions when reviewing applications. Failure to clearly demonstrate your experience in your application package may result in disqualification. All applicants are encouraged to submit responses to each Knowledge, Skill, and Ability (KSA) on a separate document.

Basic Requirements :

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

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 :

Medical Support Assistant (Entry Level) GS-3

Ability to meet, communicate, and interact with individuals in a courteous and helpful manner in order to give instructions and arrange appointments.

Medical Support Assistant (Developmental Level) GS-4

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.

Medical Support Assistant (Full Performance Level) GS-5

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.

Reference : For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

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 : You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

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 : 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 :

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration / Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA / OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.