Medical Support Assistant

Job Duties

DUTIES: The incumbent(s) receives telephone calls for the unit, records and relays messages to appropriate staff. Provides general information regarding visiting hours, office hours, and whether unit personnel are on duty. Aware of all units to which these policies apply and can identify with each by cross training and rotating units. Refers all questions pertaining to a patient's status or condition and all questions requiring medical or triage determination to the nursing staff. Coordinate with the medical clinics to send inpatients for required tests, pre-operative procedures, therapies and scheduled appointments based on the doctor's discharge instructions and/or consult management. Receives, directs, transfers, and discharges patients; receives and directs visitors; answer routine, abrupt, and emergent inquires and makes appropriate referral of questions concerning patient's condition. Coordinate with nursing staff, nursing staff supervisor and bed flow coordinator to assign rooms for new admissions and transfers. Build a medical chart for each new admission. Ensure that all required activities have been completed prior to discharging a patient, and that follow-up appointments and/or consults have been accurately scheduled. Prepare admission packets. Respond to technical questions regarding patient rights, responsibilities, and advance directives. Perform a variety of duties in support of data entry and collection for the unit. Accurately maintains the Ward Gains and Losses log. Post patient's appointments, therapy times, and required labs and procedures on boards which are maintained at the nurses' station. Performs various administrative duties as it relates to the Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (RRTP) to include admissions and discharges. Manage and ensures timely and appropriate scheduling of consults and processes. Completes insurance capture entries (ICB) in adherence to local and national measures as third-party collections are a vital aspect of facility revenue. Electronically verifies doctors' orders and alerts staff for time critical medications, labs, x-rays, and EKG's. Manually transcribes doctors' handwritten or electronic orders onto the appropriate medication, pre-op, or treatment sheets for nursing staff. Verifies and corrects patient information in the computer systems concerning treating specialties, providers and times of movements, and informs supervisor of discrepancies. The incumbent(s) must be conscientious regarding the confidentiality of the variety of material that will be handled. The position requires a practical knowledge of an extensive body of the organization's rules and regulations governing confidentiality, including but not limited to the Privacy Act, Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Prints out and posts the most current on-call rosters, emergency list, and medical/surgical staff listing as appropriate boards on the wards. Ensure that the ward's printers, telephones, fax machines, copiers, document scanners, and shredders are operational and stocked with supplies. Duties are performed independently but with supervision and auditing to ensure compliance with VHA directives, procedures, handbooks, laws and locally established policies. Incumbent accomplishes objectives of the Section and uses considerable judgment and initiative in solving problems to ensure efficient operation of their duties. Performance is evaluated on the quantitative and qualitative effectiveness of the incumbent's ability to perform given job duties. The incumbent will also assist the Eligibility and Enrollment with management in the completion of data validation. Incumbent is responsible for adherence to all provisions of the Equal Opportunity Program in accordance with OPM and VA regulations and established medical center guidelines. Complies with all safety/fire prevention rules/regulations, using protective equipment when required and provided. Promptly reports all accidents and notifies supervisor of unsafe/unhealthful conditions in the workplace. Attends scheduled training sessions and participants in facility or service level safety promotions as directed by supervisor. Knows fire drill and emergency plans for work area, including location of all emergency fire equipment. Understands the facility disaster plan and coordinates section disaster drills. The position requires working both regular and irregular tours of duty, holidays and weekends. Incumbent(s) may also be required to work on any of the wards under HAS.

Work Schedule: Varied. Will be discussed at the interview.

Telework: Not available.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 260111F, 260112F, 26417F

VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional