Medical Support Assistant; Advanced

The Wilmington VA Medical Center is recruiting for Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) vacancies. The role may function in Care in the Community (CitC) or Health Administration Service (HAS).

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

• United States Citizenship:
  Non‑citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Experience:
  
  None.
• Education:
  
  High school diploma, GED, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial Board/Department of Education.
• 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 (Advanced) – GS‑06.
  
  Experience:
  
  One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS‑5).
• This is the full performance level for MSAs.
• At this level the MSA independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of health care services in an inpatient or outpatient setting.
• Advises clinical staff on current administrative processes.
• Responsible for answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages, scheduling appointments, interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.
• Other assignments include scheduling, canceling, re‑scheduling patient appointments/consults, entering no‑show information, monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources, participating in huddles with clinic staff, monitoring inpatient/outpatient appointments, verifying demographics and insurance information at check‑in, coordinating transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals, and determining appointment type based on patient eligibility status.
• Physical Requirements:
  
  Work is primarily sedentary; some slight physical effort may be required.
• Ability to deal effectively with organizational change, role ambiguity, and the stresses of juggling many priorities and rapidly responding to unanticipated critical situations.

• Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process, including scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and care in the community models and patient portals, related to access to care.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and care in the community operational activities that affect patient flow and administrative functions such as appointment cycles, patient referrals, follow‑up care, overbooking, and provider availability.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate with a wide range of medical clinicians across multiple disciplines to accomplish team goal setting and ensure patient care.
• Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines while ensuring compliance with processes, policies, and regulations.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively—electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing—with internal and external customers.
• Ability to prepare reports and present data to various organizational levels and resolve patient concerns.

• Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) duties include but are not limited to Care in the Community (CitC) tasks such as typing, filing, data entry, and scheduling appointments and tests.
• Ensuring transfer of medical records from and to the VAMC and other facilities.
• Scheduling patients’ appointments and/or consults.
• Tracking patients’ appointment status in the community and maintaining spreadsheets to validate data…