Lead Medical Support Assistant

Lead Medical Support Assistant

The Lead MSA performs a variety of administrative functions associated with the scheduling of patient care for the clinical programs at VA Medical Center. The incumbent:

a. Provides educational sessions to train new employees in clerical process in an efficient and effective manner to ensure that clerical processes, functions and goals are understood and met.

b. Must have knowledge of VA policies, regulations, guidelines and process as they relate to the scheduling of patient appointments, consults, NEAR, and pre-appointment clinical requirements (i.e. labs, EKGs, XRay, etc.) to ensure readiness for the patient visit.

c. Monitors clinic's access to care.

d. Monitors ICB usage ensuring insurance is collected at time of appointments and captured approximately by the incumbent and other scheduling staff.

e. Must keep abreast of rapidly changing regulations, directives, software patches, programs and processes involved in the delivery of the healthcare benefits package.

f. Assist with the clean up of the EARR (Encounter Action Required Report) and supports clinics regarding utilization and clinic profile management, i.e. set up of clinic grids, cancel and restore clinics.

g. Screens/receive phone calls in a courteous and timely manner, determined the nature of request and provide the information desired using privacy rules and established clinic processes.

h. Prepares correspondence and memos as needed.

i. Stocks basic office supplies for the clinical/administrative areas.

j. Enters Veterans seeking emergent/urgent care, scheduling appointments accurately.

k. Utilizes call list and telephones Veterans to pre-register them prior to their scheduled appointments. Incumbent updates all patient demographics.

l. Communicates and interacts with patients in a manner which is appropriate to cognitive, emotional, and chronological maturation needs of the adult and/or geriatric patient.

m. Assures that all appropriate VA forms are used correctly, and regulations followed.

n. Additional duties or tasks may be assigned by the supervisor to ensure efficient daily operations.

The incumbent oversees the status of work for all lower grade MSA positions working in various clinics, makes day-to-day adjustments in accordance with established priorities, obtaining assistance from the supervisor on problems that may arise, such a backlogs which cannot de disposed of promptly. Able to resolve workplace issues, simple informational complaints of employees, referring others to supervisor for resolution. Incumbent will conduct ongoing audits to ensure quality of work for accurate and timely scheduling of appointments.

Recognizes and refers sub-standard performance or sub-standard behavior to supervisor on MSA performance and behaviors. Identifies education and training needs of staff and evaluating scheduling practices. Makes recommendation for reassignments, recognition for outstanding performance and other personnel needs. Orienting and providing on the job training for new and current employees.

As a front-line contact with patients and staff, in the scheduling role, incumbent sets the tone for perception concerning quality of healthcare services at the VA and will show a high degree of tact and diplomacy when dealing with Veterans who have multiple health problems and who may be frustrated with the administrative process associate with diagnosis and treatment. The incumbent supports patient safety standards using appropriate standards of identification validation.

The incumbent must ensure preregistration is completed and collects, scans and updates health insurance information serving a major role in the revenue process and possess superb telephone etiquette utilizing the standardized telephone greeting while ensuring other frontline staff is as well. The incumbent must have the ability to learn the technical competency in the use of BMS, VISTA, VSE, CPRS, ICB Scanners, Vetlink, Kiosk, Healthe Connections, ISS, VAR, MHV, VSSC and all scheduling software.

Must provide excellent customer service and have an advanced understanding of medical terminology, medical administrative practices, patient consult processes, patient scheduling procedures, medical record system, Privacy Act, HIPPA rules and the Freedom Act as they relate to the handling of confidential and sensitive patient information. Incumbent must possess knowledge of clinic processes and service to interact with various clinic staff members.

This employee must have…