Medical Support Assistant

The Battle Creek VA Medical Center is currently recruiting for a Medical Support Assistant for our Community Living Center Units within Extended Care Service.

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. No experience required.
• Education. High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
• Licensure/Certification/Registration. None
• Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment listed above, the following education and/or experience criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:

Medical Support Assistant GS-3:
Experience or Education: None beyond the basic requirements.

Medical Support Assistant, GS-4
Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.
OR
Education. One year of education above high school.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition candidates must demonstrated all of the KSA's below:

• 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
• Ability to 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.

Medical Support Assistant, GS-5
Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.
OR
Education. Two years of education above high school. TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition candidates must demonstrated all of the KSA's 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.

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. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-03 to GS-05.

Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary. It typically requires sitting with sustained periods of concentration. There will be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of relatively light objects. The position may also require stooping, reaching, lifting, pulling, and other moderate exertion or strain. Incumbent may occasionally have to walk some distance to a meeting.

Responsibilities:

Medical Support Assistant's (MSA) performs a full range duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient setting or outpatient setting. MSA work includes functions such as serving as an initial point of contact for the units, clinics, patient, call centers, CitC, to include, but not limited to, scheduling patient appointments, tracking, reviewing, and responding to electronic orders, consults, and other elements in the electronic medical record and medical systems. This series includes work that requires a practical knowledge of computerized data entry, information processing systems and software related to patient care (such as VISTA, Office 365, Adobe Acrobat and other VA automated data processing methods in support of treatments to patients), the healthcare system's organization and services, basic rules and regulations governing visitors and patient treatment, knowledge of standard procedures, utilizing medical records, and medical terminology.

• Utilize a variety of patient data systems in scheduling patients for treatment and annotates patient records in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.
• Is responsible for answering phones, greeting Veterans and visitors to the unit.
• Make and cancel appointments, review patient records for necessary information, review patient demographics and insurance verification.
• Responsible for relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit.
• Maintaining medical outpatient and inpatient charts as well as administrative records.
• Coordinating information and advise clinical staff on current administrative process and actions related to patient care and services.
• Refers all questions requiring immediate medical attention to the appropriate health care team member.
• Coordinating administrative functions related to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities and area hospitals.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30AM - 4:00 PM
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 93697-0, 93698-0, 93699-0
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Salary : $38,403