Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) @ Veterans Health Administration

Job Summary

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant serves as an initial point of contact for patients; schedules medical appointments; tracks, reviews and responds to electronic orders, consults and other elements in the electronic medical record and medical systems. This position is located in the Imaging PSL, VA Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN.

Qualifications

• 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: United States Citizenship

• Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Must possess one of the following: High School diploma or transcript (including homeschooling) General Education Development (GED) certificate Proficiency certificate issued by a State or Territorial Board or Department of Education Post-high school education 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).
• Grade Determinations: Specialized Experience.
• One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.
• Examples of creditable experience include but are not limited to: answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit; scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; participating in huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic, monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when patients check-in for appointments.
• Coordinating 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.).
• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities.
• In addition to meeting the experience requirement, candidates must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): 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.
• 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.
• This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels, as well as resolving patient concerns.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level for this occupation is GS-5. This position is above the Full Performance Level.

Physical

Requirements

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

Major Duties

• VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo Duties include: Operate a computer terminal to create, edit, print, retrieve, or manipulate Imaging data files, view images, burn CD/DVDs, print reports, monitor sources of incomplete exams both for in-house Imaging Service exams as well as outsourced imaging services.
• Manage requests for burning CD/DVD images for internal and external stakeholders.
• Provide basic instruction on the operation of the Radiology PACS viewing application to Radiology students and clinicians as needed.
• Use specific procedures and established methods to Import and create digital Imaging DICOM data sets in a CD or DVD format.
• Send CD/DVD or film via mail, courier or special shipping in accordance with all legal, HIPPA and Information security and standards.
• Assign Vista Radiology orders to imported Imaging exams and create electronically filed reports for imported Imaging exams.
• Monitor inventory of office and radiology supplies and replenish as needed.
• Alert supervisor when additional supplies are needed.
• Performs Reception staff and Imaging Scheduler duties..
• In this capacity, the incumbent is responsible for accurate appointment management and the coordination of all administrative information between the professional staff and the patient.
• Reviewing active/pending Imaging consult statuses.
• Faxing result retrieval requests related to Care in the Community Imaging services, updating the consult with new information and closing the Imaging consult when indicated.
• Receive training on standard processes for creating Imaging CDs, importing CDs from outside vendors, processing CBOC imaging studies.
• Develops and maintains effective working relationships with all clinical and administrative Imaging Department staff in order to support patient care.
• Organize and support the work flow of the Results Processing Team employees in the rare event that both the supervisor and Lead MSA are absent.
• Assume the role of backup to the Lead MSA to Interpret and apply the HIMS, regulations, directives, and policies that relate to the administration of VA Healthcare Benefits.
• Assist with routine, non-technical maintenance of non-patient care Results Processing equipment, ordering and stocking supplies and stocking necessary administrative forms.
• Assist employees in collecting complete and appropriate data for reporting processes.
• Participates in the team huddles and weekly/monthly meetings.
• Back up the Imaging Scheduling MSAs.
• Performs reception, scheduling and other customer service duties that facilitate proper and timely treatment of patient care for all modalities that training has been provided (CT, Ultrasound, Vascular Ultrasound, MRI, Mammography, Nuclear Medicine and Ortho/Neuro injections).
• Independently manage position responsibilities with little supervision and knows to notify the supervisor when clinic access is less than desirable or if an individual patient cannot be scheduled within mandated clinic timeframes.
• Assists patients by scheduling appointments for Imaging exams in the VA hospital system, documents complaints, and provides follow-up and suggests resolutions to supervisor.
• Interpret and communicate requirements of VHA Scheduling Directives to patients and other VAHCS staff and accurately complete all scheduling responsibilities.

Work Schedule: Mon-Fri 8am - 430pm Telework: Not Eligible Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.

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.

Must pass pre-employment physical examination. 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.