Medical Support Assistant

Overview

The incumbent serves as a Medical Support Assistant in the Business Office for the Memphis VA Medical Center and will provide support to the Inpatient Ward, Emergency Room, Baggage Claims, Environmental Care and Call Center. These positions are part of an integral team used to carry out the day-to-day administrative operations of the assigned location.

• The Medical Support Assistant performs duties related to the receipt, intake, and indexing of health and administrative information.
• Interfaces with patients and/or their family members, uses PC applications and Vista applications, and works as a member of a collaborative health care team.
• Interacts with larger health care system providers including VA and non-VA specialists, hospital facilities, diagnostic and treating facilities, and community-based programs.
• Schedule discharge orders and admissions/discharges of patients; operate the VA operation phone system.
• Interpret and verify provider orders in accordance with VHA scheduling guidelines.
• Schedule, cancel, or reschedule patient appointments and/or consults; enter no-show information; prepare for clinic visits.
• Monitor inpatient and outpatient appointments for assigned areas; review encounter forms to ensure workload credit; verify and update demographics and insurance information.
• Perform basic eligibility, co-pays, and preauthorization requirements for specific coverage; assist with enrollment/authentication of Veterans in MyHealthy Vet Program.
• Assist with clinic access contingency planning by adjusting appointment times/locations and reallocating patients to other providers as needed.
• Communicate the VA mandate to collect insurance information from Veterans, families, and other eligible patients; obtain medical information and coordinate actions related to patient care and service at each interface.
• Refer questions requiring immediate medical attention to appropriate health care team members.
• Log and track information left, lost, or found in the hospital.
• Support customer needs while upholding the Medical Center’s service mission and treat customers (patients, visitors, volunteers, and staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner; provide consistent information per policies and procedures; handle conflicts constructively.

• Work Schedule: Multiple tours of duty available.
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
• Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
• Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. A higher step rate may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA.
• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time off per year (13-26 days annual leave, 13 days sick leave, 11 paid federal holidays). Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service experience.
• Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with birth/adoption/foster care placement.
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, eligible full-time employees with family income below $144,000 may receive a childcare subsidy up to 25% of eligible costs up to a monthly maximum of $416.66.
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401(k) with up to 5% VA contributions.
• Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care.
• Telework: May be approved on an ad-hoc basis.
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
• Functional Statement #: 50383-F
• PCS: Not Authorized

The description outlines duties related to health information management, patient interactions, scheduling, and coordination within a VA Medical Center. Candidates should be capable of using PC and Vista applications, communicating with Veterans and families, and working as part of a multidisciplinary team to support administrative and patient care processes.