Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) -Patient Align Care Team

Advanced Medical Support Assistant and provides clerical and administrative support for multiple Clinical Departments. Gives on-the-job training to new employees in accordance with established procedures and practices. Provides information via telephone and in person to the general public, members of the professional staff, civilian, and military personnel in response to inquiries regarding appointments.

Major duties include, but are not limited to the following:
Works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model, Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT). Coordinates with the PACT to review clinic utilization using various reports, ensures that the clinic setup is closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinic, and makes necessary adjustments. Collaborates, communicates, sets priorities, and organizes work with the PACT in order to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations. Participates in team huddles and team meetings to manage and plan patient care: sets priorities and deadlines, adjusts the flow and sequence of work to meet team and patient needs: works with the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions. As a member of the PACT, participates in and independently follows up on team huddles by sharing information and collaborating with the medical team to assure continuity of care: informs and educates providers about shared patients (those receiving care at multiple VA locations or in the community); contacts patients to coordinate follow-up care. Communicates tactfully and effectively, both orally and in writing, in order to meet program objectives. Demonstrated advanced knowledge of the technical health care process as it relates to access of care. Without supervisor intervention, utilizes reference sources, sound judgement, and team collaboration to resolve problems within a complex systems environment. Possesses a comprehensive knowledge of polices and procedures associated with operational activities that affect the patient flow and patient care.

• Enters, manipulates, and retrieves information and data from the Vista and other clinical information systems as appropriate to area assigned.
• Completes mini registration and chart compilation.
• Complete requested forms, manually or using automated systems, for individual patient orders for blood work, X-rays, radiation therapy, respiratory or ventilated care consults and other request as required.
• Schedules and coordinates appointments for patients with various clinics, ensuring all treatment requested by the physician has been scheduled, and rescheduling appointments when necessary.
• Coordinates the scheduling to avoid conflicts in different clinic schedules.
• Ensures appointments are timely and in accordance with physicians' requests.
• Explains necessary test preparations to patients. Receives telephonic requests for information and transmits requests to the appropriate physician.
• Assists clinic administrator and other personnel with workload accountability information.
• Obtains and reviews medical records of patients prior to scheduled appointments.
• Records a variety of physicians' orders on a timely basis to various charts, identifying various chemical compounds, symbols and abbreviations comprising medication orders.
• Assures proper completion and filing of original medical documentation and forms in records prior to forwarding to medical records room.
• Ensures the patient completes all necessary forms prior to being seen by the provider.
• Responsible for the clerical duties inherent in the admission, care and discharge of inpatients or the in processing, care and out-processing, of outpatients and guests. Notifies appropriate staff of the patient's arrival. Reconciles end-of-shift/end-of-day processing and reports.
• May maintain copies of all travel documents, to include travel vouchers, and leave forms. Also, may be required to maintain the calendar for staff, preventing double booking of appointments/meetings, providing file and document management.

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


Work Schedule: M - F 8:00 - 4:30

Telework: N/A

Virtual: This is NOT a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 01310-F

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

a. Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).

b. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

c. Experience: None.

d. Education: High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.

e. Licensure/Certification/Registration: None.

Grade Determinations:

GS-6 Medical Support Assistant (Advance)

(1) Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.

(2) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

(a) 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.

(b) 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.

(c) Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.

(d) 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.

(e) Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.

(f) Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing, with internal and external customers. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels, as well as resolving patient concerns.

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).

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.


Physical Requirements: Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.

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/.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.