This position is located in the Primary Care (PC) and Specialty Care (SC) Integrated Clinical Community (ICC) at the St. Cloud VA Health Care System and is the first administrative point-of-contact for Veterans, family, and other visitors contacting the St. Cloud VA. This position will provide developmental administrative support to clinical staff members and Veterans, in addition to overseeing the daily clerical functions of scheduling in all PC ICC and SC ICC areas.
Basic Requirements: Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.g.). Experience and Education. (1) Experience. 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 (2) Education. One year above high school; OR (3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. Certification. None required. Grandfathering Provision. All MSAs employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, which are a part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: (1) Such employees may be reassigned, promoted, or changed to a lower grade within the occupation. (2) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. (3) If an employee who was converted to Title 38 hybrid status under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs. English Language Proficiency. MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.j. GRADE DETERMINATIONS: GS-3 MSA (Entry Level) You must meet the Basic Requirements outlined above. In addition you must be able to demonstrate all of the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) listed below. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 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. GS-4 MSA (Developmental Level) 1. 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. Examples of experience include but are not necessarily limited to: meet, communicate, and interact with individuals in a courteous and helpful manner in order to give instructions and arrange appointments; utilize computer systems to enter administrative data in patient systems; utilize basic medical terminology to record patient messages and physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care. OR 2. Education: Two years above high school. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to Basic Requirements and the experience listed above, candidates must be able to 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. GS-5 MSA (Full Performance Level) 1. Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-4 grade level. Examples of experience would include but not be limited 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; 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. OR 2. Education: Four years of education above high school. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to Basic Requirements and the experience listed above, candidates must be able to 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. Preferred Experience: Knowledge of medical terminology, customer service, and scheduling Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit Medical Support Assistant Qualification Standard (va.gov) The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-5. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to GS-5. Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).
VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Communication Communicates appropriate information across service lines for seamless function of program and collaboration of care for Veterans. Develops and maintains effective and efficient communication with the Veteran and the interdisciplinary team, as well as outside agencies. Participates in team meetings to help manage and plan Veteran care as needed. Participate in and independently follow up on team huddles, sharing information and collaborating with the medical team assuring continuity of care. Participates with expanding face to face and non-face to face care in PACT by using Veteran Health Coaching skills and enhancing Veteran self-management. Compose and edit letters and report. Access reports for clinic utilization (for scrubbing clinic schedules to ensure appropriate scheduling), access databases, consults, tracking scheduling attempts and consult scheduling, and various other reports as they become available. This includes assisting with the development of letters used by their team-let or work area. Is the main point of contact for all Secure Messages sent to their team; will either fulfill the request or forward to the appropriate staff for follow up and completion. Administrative and Operational Serves as an agent in the department for scheduled and unscheduled visits. Screens calls and determines if the call requires attention from a Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse, Provider, or other designated professional. Enters Veterans identifiers into the scheduling management software following appropriate national and local scheduling policies and directives. Maintains and secures medical records as appropriate and in accordance with Health Insurance Probability and Accountability act of 1996 (HIPAA). Enters appropriate information into the Veterans electronic medical record. Facilitates Release of Information for records and documents being received from outside facilities following national guidelines, monitoring and tracking the progress of received required information. Provides clerical support within the department. Prepares agendas and minutes. Records, and publishes meeting agendas and minutes. Updates Veteran's demographic information. Receives and responds to inquiries via Secure Messaging, VAR, VEText, letters, or phone calls. Recognizes and refers urgent inquiries to clinical staff for immediate action as needed. Makes calls to coordinate information and actions relating to Veteran care and/or services available. Works or may be assigned to the Primary Care Call enter in times of short staffing or high call volumes. Process orders accurately, seeking clarification when needed. Monitors pre-appointment requirements (i.e., x-rays, labs, etc.). Develop and maintain effective and efficient communication with the Veteran and the staff, as well as other outside agencies. This will include the use of secure messaging to Veterans. Participate in and independently following up on team huddles but sharing information and collaborating with the medical team to assure continuity of care. Basic knowledge of the technical health care process as it relates to access to care. Ensure that appointments are scheduled correctly by doing order checks and following up with MSA on the findings. Processes all health care providers' order accurately. When needed seeking clarification. Makes calls each day to coordinate information and actions relating to Veteran care and services. Relays information and requests from the Veterans to the treatment team. Call Center functions include but are not limited to: assisting in answering all PSM incoming calls, assignment of monthly administrative duties, obtains and monitors the use of services, supplies and or equipment for the Call Center team. Health Care Processes Follows established scheduling rules and policies. Reviews and understands all Health Care System Memorandums, MCPs, SOPs; seeking clarification when needed Participates and provides input in problem solving on operational or procedural issues. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases 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) 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. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized