Summary The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) will be assigned to the Community Living Center (CLC) and will be responsible for providing full clerical and administrative support. The MSA is a foundational role within the Patient Centered Care Initiative and will work collaboratively with members of the health care team including physicians, RN's, LVN's, NA's, pharmacists, social workers, dieticians, and behavioral health staff to provide a robust interdisciplinary approach to care. Responsibilities Duties and responsibilities of the MSA include: As front-line contact with patients and staff, the MSA sets the tone for perception concerning quality of healthcare services at the VA. A caring, compassionate and sensitive manner is essential when explaining procedures to veterans and their family members both in person and on the phone. Performs receptionist duties, customer service and other duties assigned for the proper and timely treatment of patients and maintains appointment schedules for up to fifty-two residents. Coordinates and schedules the travel to various UCSF campus, other VA facilities or other private hospitals emergency and non-emergency appointments. Manages position responsibilities with some supervision as well as set priorities and deadlines adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs. Maintains a hardcopy patient record for what is not computerized and maintain the electronic white board for emergency preparedness. Updates the Bed Management Solution BMS as part of the VISN 21 requirement to reflect current operational beds and active bed status, changes in patient room assignments need to be entered in the BMS and isolation room icons and EMS icons are entered to reflect bed status and metric on EMS response to clean time is measured. Serves as the liaison between Decedent Affairs, staff of Patient Effects and the unit. Serves as the primary coordinator for the maintenance of equipment with Engineering and meets daily with Engineering Service to ensure that all work requests are completed. Ensures accurate information is entered into the Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA) computer system, and the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS). Receives telephonic requests for information and transmits requests to the appropriate physician. Incumbent will receive customers in-person, as well as gives and/or receives information to and/or from patients over the telephone at the request of the supervisor and/or other members of the health care team. Explains to veterans the importance of keeping appointments (avoiding no-shows) and the impact it has on the health care system. Provides appointment lists. Works with team members to ensure patients are reminded of their appointments. Serves as a consumer advocate responsible for efficient and humane movement of patients from the moment of their notification of appointment to departure. Serves as the first line of communication to the customer. Accepts telephone calls and elicits administrative and clinical information from callers through utilization of interviewing skills and a sound ambulatory-care knowledge base. Collaborates with other team members in addressing patient or caller need, when required. Utilizes a comprehensive telephone algorithm to ensure timely unit response to patients/callers that potentially have an emergent or urgent care need through screening mechanism and established guidelines for referral or disposition. Ensures accurate recording and timely delivery of messages to team members. Assists with the completion of ROI requests, usually by providing information and forms, then forwarding information/requests to the ROI Unit. When records are received, the MSA will ensure that all necessary health/administrative information are integrated into Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) through scanning hardware and Vista Imaging software. Works with patients to arrange securing of their funds during their stay in the Community Living Center, coordinating with Voluntary Services for obtaining personal items, ordering air beds, and releasing of computerized delayed orders for new admissions in the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) Functions as a member of the CLC healthcare team. Observes patients for physical or emotional reactions, providing reassurance during activities. Performs ordering of supplies and equipment using automated systems within the medical center, maintains accountability of the clinic hand receipt. Assists in the treatment of a variety of disorders along with performing assigned administrative work. Provides care that covers personal care, diagnostic support procedures, treatment procedures, patient data entry and patient teaching as outlined by the clinician. The work performed contributes to the completion of the patient's health care plan. Proper performance of assignments promotes the healing process and affects the overall comfort and well-being of the patient. The work performed also requires the employee to initiate and follow through on all clerical and related procedures necessary to complete the treatment process. Work Schedule: 730-1600 Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. 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 dentification 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). 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: 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 or Education: 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-Education, one year above high school OR-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: 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). 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. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. 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). Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade. The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade. GS-5: Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-04 grade level; OR Education: Four years of education above high school leading to a Bachelors Degree. Assignment. This is the full performance level for MSAs. At this level, the MSA independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting. Advises clinical staff on current administrative processes. The MSA is responsible for (answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit), scheduling appointments, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling (patient) appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; 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. Coordinates 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. Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: Ability to operate computerized programs and systems in order to enter, modify and retrieve medical and patient identifying information (PII) into or from electronic health records, scheduling systems and/or reports. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients. Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting. Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work. Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by phone, with internal and external customers. Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary to ensure a satisfactory resolution. Salary for this position ranges dependent upon applicant qualifications GS-03: $57,710-$75,017 annually Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is 5. Physical Requirements: The Medical Support Assistant work is mostly sedentary; however, some walking; standing, and carrying light items are required. Light filing, sometimes involving working close to the floor, is involved. Wrist and back protection can be provided to minimize the risks associated with prolonged use of automated data processing equipment. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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/. Additional Information During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
