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Medical Support Assistant

Veterans Health Administration | Philadelphia, PA

Posted Date 12/20/2024
Description Selectees from this announcement could be considered for any of the areas throughout the facility where Medical Support Assistants are utilized. Individual announcements will not be posted. This announcement will be used to fill ANY open Medical Support Assistant vacancies for up to 90 days after closing. Applicants will be referred as vacancies become available.

The MSA independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting and advises clinical staff on current administrative processes, and support work relating to the care and treatment given to patients in inpatient units, outpatient clinics, patient scheduling call centers, Care in the Community Support Staff (CitC), and ancillary support services. Responsibilities include but not limited to:

  • Answer phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit, scheduling appointments, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines
  • Schedule, cancel, re-schedule patient appointments and/or consults
  • Enter no-show information and monitor appointment requests from multiple electronic sources
  • Participate in huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic
  • Monitor both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility
  • Verify and update demographics and insurance information when patients check-in for appointments
  • Coordinate administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals and determines appointment type based on the patient's eligibility status (i.e., TRICARE, sharing agreements, collaterals, research patient, VA employee, etc.)
  • Serve 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
  • Utilize practical knowledge of computerized data entry, information processing systems and software related to patient care, the healthcare system's organization and services, basic rules and regulations governing visitors and patient treatment
  • Apply, knowledge of standard procedures, utilizing medical records, and medical terminology

VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo

Medical Support Assistant: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-MSA-VA-Career-Flyer.pdf


Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm Rotating Holidays and Weekends
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of existing pay, higher or unique qualifications, or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
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 and Education.
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
Education. One year above high school (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED);
OR
Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED).
GRADE DETERMINATIONS
Knowledge of MSA Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with current MSA responsibilities or an equivalent administrative patient support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment as an MSA or an equivalent position in a non-VA hospital or clinic setting.
Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to MSA experience or equivalent administrative clinical support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting at the next lower grade level. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty), and a range of [varieties] as described in this standard, at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.
Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as an MSA or equivalent administrative patient support in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, an MSA employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive one full-time workweek of credit for each two weeks of service.
In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following education and/or experience and KSA criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:

Medical Support Assistant, GS-3
Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
  1. Ability to meet, communicate, and interact with individuals in a courteous and helpful manner in order to give instructions and arrange appointments.
  2. Ability to utilize computer systems to enter administrative data in patient systems.
  3. Ability to learn and utilize basic medical terminology to record patient messages and physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care.
Medical Support Assistant, GS-4
Experience. One year of experience in 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

Education. Two years of education above high school (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED).Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Knowledge of basic medical terminology to assist in the provision of care to patients.
  4. 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 experience equivalent to the GS-4 grade level;
OR

Education. Four years of education above high school (120 semester hours or 180 quarter hours) (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED).
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must 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: Qualification Standard for Medical Support Assistant. located at VA Qualifications Standards - Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) Dated August 1, 2019.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 mainly sedentary, but may require walking, bending, standing, and/or carrying of light items such as files and manuals. The work does not require any special physical effort or ability. The work area is usually an adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated office or medical facility setting. The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions.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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Salary36,899.00 - 60,241.00 Annual

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