Medical Support Assistant

Summary

The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) serves within the Mental Health Service Line at the Coralville VA Clinic. The MSA performs duties related to the receipt - intake - and indexing of health and administrative information. The incumbent will interface with personal computer (PC) applications as well as numerous Vista and other various applications.

• Citizenship:
  Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.)
• Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C.
• 7407(a)
• 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 Medical Support Assistant - GS-3 Experience or Education
• None beyond the basic requirements Assignment
• This is an entry level MSA position
• It is expected that MSAs at this level receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision
• At this level - MSAs apply general rules and policies relating to clinic functions - staff - and automated data processing methods in support of treatment to patients
• They utilize a variety of patient data systems in scheduling patients for treatment and annotates patient records
• They perform front desk duties - receives telephone call - and visitors to the MSA unit
• They make and cancel appointments - review patient records for necessary information - and review patient demographics and insurance verification
• 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
• AND Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: i
• 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
• ii
• 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
• iii
• Knowledge of basic medical terminology to assist in the provision of care to patients
• iv
• Skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care in internal or external clinics
• Assignment
• This is a developmental level MSA position
• It is expected that MSAs at this level receive minor and less frequent guidance from higher experienced staff members for more difficult tasks
• 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
• 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
  
  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
• i…