Advanced Medical Support Assistant

This position is located at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, within the Medicine Division - Administrative Support Program. The incumbent will normally work in their assigned area but may be required to work in other locations as necessary and as qualified by past training.

Responsibilities

• Advise clinical staff on current administrative processes.
• Answer phones, greet patients, relay messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit.
• Schedule, cancel, and reschedule patient appointments and/or consults, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.
• 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.
• Determine appointment type based on the patient's eligibility status (e.g., TRICARE, sharing agreements, collaterals, research patient, VA employee).
• Participate in team huddles and team meetings to manage and plan patient care.
• Establish and route patient records accurately to be scanned into the patient's electronic medical records.
• Coordinate and schedule labs, tests, and actions related to patient care and services.
• Interpret and verify provider orders, demonstrating complete established administrative action for each order.
• Monitor pre-appointment requirements to assure readiness for patient visits/procedures.
• Enter work orders for assigned areas and maintain adequate and appropriate levels of office supplies.
• Provide follow-up calls to patients to remind them of appointments and to reschedule when clinic is cancelled.
• Perform administrative follow-up and problem-solving for administrative issues.
• Assist with clinic access contingency plans by adjusting appointment times, locations, or dates, and shifting patients to other healthcare providers as needed.
• Participate and provide input in problem-solving on operational issues or procedures in team meetings.
• Update information in the Insurance Capture Buffer (ICB) system.
• Obtain medical information from patients, other VA facilities, and/or private sector medical centers.
• Coordinate information and actions related to patient care services.
• Call for Code 4 or rapid response following established procedures.
• Coordinate administrative services for veterans, family members, caregivers, and the general public, as well as administrative and clinical staff to ensure continuity of inpatient and outpatient care.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with all clinical and administrative staff in determining priorities of activities in support of direct patient care.
• Interpret and apply a complex body of pertinent laws, regulations, directives, and policies related to the administration of VA Healthcare Benefits.

Requirements

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Proficiency: Must be proficient in basic written and spoken English.
• Education: Must possess a High School Diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
• Specialized Experience (GS-6 Level): Must have one (1) year of experience directly related to the duties of a Medical Support Assistant (MSA), equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-5). Experience at this level includes:
  • Advising clinical staff on administrative processes.
  • Scheduling, canceling, and rescheduling patient appointments.
  • Monitoring appointment requests and participating in clinic huddles.
  • Verifying and updating patient demographics and insurance information.
  • Coordinating administrative functions for transfers and determining appointment types based on eligibility.

Skills

• KSA-1: Ability to collaborate and communicate with a wide range of medical clinicians across multiple disciplines to accomplish team goals.
• KSA-2: Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
• KSA-3: Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing, including preparing reports and resolving patient concerns.
• KSA-4: Advanced knowledge of the technical healthcare process, including scheduling across interdisciplinary care models and patient health care portals.
• KSA-5: Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery, affecting patient flow and support.
• KSA-6: Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.

Physical Requirements

The work is primarily sedentary. Physical demands do not exceed those of a typical office setting. There may be some walking, standing, twisting, turning, sitting, pushing, bending, repetitive keyboarding, or carrying of light items. Some positions may require sitting for long periods at a computer terminal typing data while talking on a telephone headset.

Schedule

Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM.