Summary The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) provides clerical and administrative support for San Francisco VA Health Care System (SFVAHCS) Ambulatory Surgery Unit and the Anesthesia Pre-op (ASU/APO) Department and is an integral member of the nursing and medical team. They are responsible for coordinating and maintaining the clinic appointment schedule for all providers and effectively carry out day-to-day administrative operations for the ASU/APO team. Responsibilities DUTIES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: Receives patients and visitors in person or telephonically. Verifies benefit eligibility determinations. outlines the medical care benefits to which the patient has entitlement. Obtains all key information needed and initiates administrative processing of basic requests and forms. Checks patients in for appointments in the ASU/APO Department. Maintains and monitors patient appointment schedules for the unit/clinic and communicates delays in scheduled appointments to the appropriate staff and patients. Coordinates and/or schedules patient appointments with other clinics or specialties. Responds to questions from patients concerning services. Receives and handles concerns ensuring that quality service is rendered in a timely competent and caring manner. Performs clerical work in support of the care and treatment given to patients such as receiving patients and maintaining patient files. Assumes responsibility for all phone calls to the ASU/APO Department, including both patient and staff inquires and complaints. Triages phone calls to the appropriate provider as warranted by the situation. Resolves all clinical and administrative issues by working with various members of the ASU/APO team in the time frame dictated by the situation (emergent or non-emergent) and communicates resolution to the relevant party. Contacts patients scheduled for clinic appointments and procedures and if appointment/procedure will be canceled or rescheduled. Reschedules appointments appropriately and informs the ASU/APO clinic providers of the patient's condition and request to cancel. Coordinates Hoptel arrangements for appropriate ASU/APO clinic patients as necessary per clinical evaluation or providers. Manages clinic profile changes, or cancellations, and is responsible for new clinic set up. Sets up and monitors electronic wait list (EWL) as necessary. Sets up and manages clinic recall list for established patients. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday-Friday variable hours between 6:00am-6:00pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: 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. 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. 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. English Language Proficiency: Advanced Medical Support Assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Policy. Experience and Education: Experience: 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. Creditable Experience Knowledge of MSA Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with current MSA responsibilities or an equivalent administrative patient support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment as an MSA or an equivalent position in a non-VA hospital or clinic setting. Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to MSA experience [or equivalent administrative clinical support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting] at the next lower grade level. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty), and a range of varieties as described in this standard, at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time . Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as an MSA or equivalent administrative patient support in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, an MSA employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive one full-time workweek of credit for each two weeks of service. 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: Medical Support Assistant, GS-3 Experience or Education: None beyond the basic requirements. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Candidates must demonstrate all of] the KSAs below: Ability to meet, communicate, and interact with individuals in a courteous and helpful manner in order to give instructions and arrange appointments. Ability to utilize computer systems to enter administrative data in patient systems. Ability to learn and utilize basic medical terminology to record patient messages and physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care. Medical Support Assistant, GS-4 Experience: One year of experience in 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: Two years of education above high school. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Candidates must demonstrate [all of] the KSAs below: Ability to meet, communicate, and interact with individuals from varying backgrounds and other health care team members in a courteous and helpful manner in order to [facilitate medical care for patients]. Ability to use, [and navigate between], various types of office automation equipment and software [(i.e. computer systems, web based scheduling programs; insurance collection system; scanning software, multiple line phone systems; electronic faxing programs) to support patient care]. Knowledge of basic medical terminology to assist in the provision of care to patients. Skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care in internal or external clinics. Medical Support Assistant, GS-5 Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the [GS-4] grade level; OR, Education: Four years of education above high school. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Candidates must demonstrate [all of] the KSAs below: Ability to operate computerized programs and [systems] in order to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive [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 telephone], 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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-05. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a range of GS-3 to GS-5. Physical Requirements: Position is primarily sedentary. Work is conducted at desk setting. Some walking and standing throughout the day from desk to other areas, MSA must be able to travel to other areas with ease. The majority of time is spent working at a desk. It involves the frequent use of office equipment including the telephone, copier, personal computer, printer and similar automated equipment. There is potential for extended periods of sitting, standing and carrying items weighing up to 20 pounds (i.e., medical records and manuals). The MSA is expected to use proper preventive ergonomic techniques to perform duties. 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 Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. 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.