Medical Support Assistant-Care in the Community

Summary The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) provides medical administrative support to the Care in the Community (CITC) department. The MSA is responsible for accurate consult management, including scheduling and documentation in the consult toolbox, and the coordination of all administrative information between the professional staff, patient, community vendor and Third-Party Administrator (TPA). Responsibilities Major duties include but are not limited to: Works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary care delivery model and performs receptionist, customer service, and administrative duties for the proper and timely scheduling of community care Demonstrates substantial skill in planning, organizing, problem solving, and decision-making Provides administrative support to our clinical colleagues in the care of our Nation’s Veterans Utilizes a variety of patient data systems and is responsible for performing scheduling functions including; appointment scheduling/rescheduling, and cancellations, providing both face to face and telephonic customer service, manual and electronic data entry, and management of the TPA portal and Health Share Referral Manager (HSRM) Receives phone calls in a courteous and timely manner, determines the nature of requests and provides the information desired using privacy rules and established CITC processes Organizes paperwork required for the community appointment, schedules appointments, prepares medical documentation packet, creates authorization, uploads to HSRM, tracks care and requests outside records to attach to consult resulting in consult completion Tracks notifications in multiple electronic portals to ensure continuity of care and authorization Interprets and communicates requirements of VHA Scheduling Directives and policies Schedules appointments with the patient’s input, either in person, over the phone, or through written communication Demonstrates a high level of coordination to avoid patients having to make multiple trips to the medical center or clinic Independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting Coordinates efforts to ensure all aspects of duties are accomplished efficiently, timely, and correctly Work Schedule: Monday – Friday; variable tours to be discussed during the interview process Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required **This occupational series is eligible for the Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP), and participation is available for highly qualified candidates. Participants must sign a service agreement and maintain an acceptable level of performance to remain eligible for this program.** PLEASE NOTE: ALTHOUGH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT REMAINS OPEN UNTIL DECEMBER 31, 2021, WE WILL BEGIN SCREENING APPLICANTS ON OCTOBER 22, 2021. WE WILL DO SUBSEQUENT SCREENINGS UP UNTIL THE ANNOUNCEMENT CLOSES AS NEW VACANCIES BECOME AVAILABLE Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications BASIC REQUIREMENTS: a. Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.g.). b. 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. c. Certification. None required. d. 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. (2) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. (3) If an employee who was converted to Title 38 hybrid status under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. e. 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. f. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. g. 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. Grade Determination GS-5 MSA (Full Performance Level) 1. Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-4 grade level. Examples of experience would include but not be limited 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; 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 2. Education: Four years of education above high school. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to Basic Requirements and the experience listed above, candidates must be able to demonstrate all of the KSAs below: 1. 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. 2. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients. 3. Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting. 4. Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work. 5. Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone, with internal and external customers. 6. Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution. References: VA Handbook 5005/117, Part II, Appendix G45, Medical Support Assistant Qualification Standard. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, however, there may be some walking, standing, bending and transporting items under 20 pounds. Works extensively in the hospital computer system. 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee’s credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. 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. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members. If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.