Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

About the role

The incumbent serves as a Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) within the Patient Administrative Service (PAS). This position provides Outpatient and Inpatient administrative services to Veterans residing in the Primary Service Area of the Edward Hines - Jr. VA Hospital. The Edward Hines Jr. VA is a 1A complex facility.

Responsibilities

• Scheduling, canceling, and rescheduling patient’s appointments and/or consults
• Entering no-show information
• Maintaining the electronic wait list
• Monitoring clinic visits
• Ensuring encounter forms are completed for workload credit
• Verifying and updating demographics and insurance information
• Processing emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals
• Performing basic eligibility, co-pays, and preauthorization requirements for specific coverage (e.g., TRICARE, sharing agreements, etc.)
• Supporting clinics regarding utilization and clinic profile management
• Screens/receives phone calls in a courteous and timely manner, determining the nature of requests and providing the information desired using privacy rules and established clinic processes
• Promoting Veteran registration for and utilization of My Healthy Vet (MHV)
• Scheduling appointments accurately for Veterans seeking emergent/urgent care
• Updating all patient demographics
• Communicating and interacting with patients in a manner appropriate to their cognitive, emotional, and chronological maturity needs
• Oversight of work for lower grade MSA positions, making day-to-day adjustments in accordance with established priorities
• Resolving workplace issues, simple informational complaints of employees, and referring others to supervisors for resolution
• Conducting ongoing audits to ensure quality of work for accurate and timely scheduling of appointments
• Referring substandard performance or behavior to supervisors as needed
• Providing recommendations for reassignments, recognition for outstanding performance, and other personnel needs
• Providing on-the-job training for new and current employees
• Ensuring patient safety standards using appropriate standards of identification validation (e.g., two forms of identification, name, and full Social Security Number)
• Ensuring preregistration is completed and collecting, scanning, and updating health insurance information, serving a major role in the revenue process
• Providing excellent customer service and having 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
• Operating proficiently with department-specific software programs and Microsoft Office programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
• Gathering, analyzing, and reporting data as it relates to inpatient units and outpatient clinic operations

Requirements

To be creditable, this experience must be equivalent to the next lower grade level - GS-5 and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with current MSA responsibilities. This experience includes but is not limited to:

• Scheduling, canceling, and rescheduling patient’s appointments and/or consults
• Entering no-show information
• Maintaining the electronic wait list
• Monitoring clinic visits
• Ensuring encounter forms are completed for workload credit
• Verifying and updating demographics and insurance information
• Processing emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals
• Performing basic eligibility, co-pays, and preauthorization requirements for specific coverage (e.g., TRICARE, sharing agreements, etc.)
• Supporting clinics regarding utilization and clinic profile management
• Screens/receives phone calls in a courteous and timely manner, determining the nature of requests and providing the information desired using privacy rules and established clinic processes
• Promoting Veteran registration for and utilization of My Healthy Vet (MHV)
• Scheduling appointments accurately for Veterans seeking emergent/urgent care
• Updating all patient demographics
• Communicating and interacting with patients in a manner appropriate to their cognitive, emotional, and chronological maturity needs
• Oversight of work for lower grade MSA positions, making day-to-day adjustments in accordance with established priorities
• Resolving workplace issues, simple informational complaints of employees, and referring others to supervisors for resolution
• Conducting ongoing audits to ensure quality of work for accurate and timely scheduling of appointments
• Referring substandard performance or behavior to supervisors as needed
• Providing recommendations for reassignments, recognition for outstanding performance, and other personnel needs
• Providing on-the-job training for new and current employees
• Ensuring patient safety standards using appropriate standards of identification validation (e.g., two forms of identification, name, and full Social Security Number)
• Ensuring preregistration is completed and collecting, scanning, and updating health insurance information, serving a major role in the revenue process
• Providing excellent customer service and having 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
• Operating proficiently with department-specific software programs and Microsoft Office programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
• Gathering, analyzing, and reporting data as it relates to inpatient units and outpatient clinic operations

Qualifications

• Basic Requirements: Citizenship - Citizen of the United States; English Language Proficiency - MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written 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; GS-6 Grade Requirements - Specialized Experience - Must have one (1) year of experience that is directly related to the duties of a MSA and that equips you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position; To be creditable - this experience must be equivalent to the next lower grade level - GS-5 and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with current MSA responsibilities; Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities - Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: Ability to collaborate and communicate [with a wide range of medical clinicians across multiple disciplines (e.g., medical doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, clinical pharmacists, and nursing staff) to accomplish team goal setting to ensure medical care to patients is met; Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations; Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively [electronically, by phone, in person], and in writing, with internal and external customers; Advanced Knowledge of the Technical Health Care Process (including, but not limited to, scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community models and patient health care portals) as it relates to access to care; Advanced Knowledge of Policies and Procedures Associated with Interdisciplinary Coordinated Care Delivery and/or Care in the Community Operational Activities That Affect Patient Flow and Patient Support Care Administrative Functions to Include, but Not Limited to Appointment Cycles, Outside Patient Referrals, Follow-Up Care, Overbooking, Provider Availability, etc.; Advanced Knowledge of Medical Terminology Due to the Technical Nature of Language Utilized by Clinicians; Types at 40+ words per minute (WPM); Proficiency with Office Automation Equipment (i.e., printers, fax, scanners, etc.); Proficiency with Various Computer Programs, Including Microsoft Office Suite, VistA, CPRS, VSE GUI, etc.

Skills

• Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process (including, but not limited to, scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community models and patient health care portals) as it relates to access to care
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community operational activities that affect patient flow and patient support care administrative functions to include, but not limited to, appointment cycles, outside patient referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, provider availability, etc.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians

Benefits

N/A

Pay

N/A

Schedule

Varies per location - generally Monday - Friday - 7:30am - 4:00pm; Tour of Duty also varies based on the needs of the service and you may be asked to work a Saturday a few times a year for expanding services

Virtual

This is not a virtual position