Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) AURORA CBOC

at Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration in Aurora, Illinois, United States

Job Description

Summary The Advanced MSA works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model & performs receptionist duties, timekeeping, customer service & other duties assigned for the proper & timely treatment of patients & maintains appointment schedules. He/she must assist with clinic access contingency plans by adjusting appointment times, location, or dates as well as shift patients to other healthcare providers as conflict with staffing and/or coverage occurs. Responsibilities This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. While this vacancy is located at the Aurora CBOC, applicants may be selected to fill other vacancies at Hines and its affiliated CBOC’s. Tour of duty may vary based on the needs of the service. The incumbent serves as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant at the Aurora CBOC location within the Hines VA Medical Center in Hines IL. The incumbent’s work impacts the administrative aspect of patient care, including access, scheduling/coordinating appointments using advanced clinic access principles, collecting, and updating demographic and insurance information, managing the Electronic Waiting List (EWL), patient processing and customer service. Incumbent is responsible for assuring that various aspects of staffing, training, compliance, reporting, quality assurance and budgetary initiatives are met. These activities directly affect the revenue cycle, patient access to care, hospital performance goals and objectives, as well as VHA public image. The incumbent plays an integral role in identifying and developing ways to resolve problems with the administrative and clinical staff on access, customer service, patient flow revenue, and data validation issues. His/her work also impacts processes, action plans, monitoring and reporting. Failure to perform these duties properly could result in the veteran not receiving the treatment to which he/she is entitled or priority access to care to which he/she is entitled. The lack of coordination provided by this employee could negatively impact upon clinical and/or administrative functions. A large part of the duties of a Clinical Support Section employee is acting as a receptionist at the clinic, either face-to-face or telephonically, requiring excellent customer service skills. The work requires a high degree of judgment in responding to both employee and patient concerns and providing solutions to process problems as they affect day-to-day operations. The work is mostly sedentary and is performed in various outpatient clinic or office settings responsible for treating patients with a wide variety of medical problems. 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. 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. Work Schedule: Monday – Friday, 7:30am – 4:00pm or 8:00am – 4:30pm. Aurora CBOC. Tour of duty may vary based on the needs of the service. Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required. Aurora CBOC: 161 South Lincolnway, Suite 120, North Aurora, IL 60542-1659 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. Must pass pre-employment evaluation. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) – See “Additional Information” below for details. Current, Permanent Hines VA/VHA Employees must upload a copy of the most recent 2024 SF-50 (that is not for an award), indicating current VA/VHA employment. Qualifications The following are the basic requirements and amounts of experience and/or education required to qualify for this position. Creditable experience is defined as, experience that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA’s) associated with current Medical Support Assistant responsibilities. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment as a Medical Support Assistant. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Citizenship: Must be a United States Citizen. Language: Must be proficient in basic written and spoken English. Experience – Six months experience of clerical, office or other work that indicates the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position, OR Education – One year above high school. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college, or university. One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university OR Combination – Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying for this position. AND Specialized Experience GS-6: One (1) year of health care related experience that is directly related to the duties of a MSA that equips you with the 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. Experience at this level includes, but is not limited to: scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient’s appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring the electronic wait list; preparing for clinic visits; monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments for areas of responsibility; ensuring encounter forms are completed in order to obtain appropriate workload credit; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information; processing emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals; and performing basic eligibility, co-pays and preauthorization requirements for specific coverage (i.e., TRICARE, sharing agreements, etc.).In addition, applicants must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA’s): Ability to collaborate, communicate, set priorities, and organize the work in order to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations. Ability to communicate