SHAKEELA DAWSON
Dallas VA Medical Center
Dallas,TX
15
years of professional experience
Current VA Advanced Medical Support Assistant (GS-0679-06, Step 03) with extensive Veteran-facing healthcare and administrative experience. Experienced in return-to-clinic scheduling, laboratory scheduling, no-show and cancellation processing, demographic and insurance verification, patient eligibility guidance, interdisciplinary coordination, and resolution of scheduling needs. Proficient with VistA, CPRS, Consult Tracking Manager (CTM), ISS, VATAS, Microsoft Word, and Excel. Recognized for Veteran safety, teamwork, customer service, and dependable support of clinic operations.
Work History
Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-0679-06 Step 03
2 Years 11 Months- Coordinate return-to-clinic appointments and schedule laboratory orders for Veterans in a primary care setting, using established scheduling processes and provider orders to support timely access to care.
- Process clinic no-shows and cancellations and coordinate appointment rescheduling and follow-up needs while maintaining accurate scheduling information.
- Review, verify, and update patient demographics, next of kin, telephone information, and insurance information in VA systems to support accurate patient records and administrative processing.
- Work closely with providers, nurses, and other clinic staff to resolve scheduling issues, communicate patient needs, and support coordinated clinic operations.
- Provide professional Veteran-centered customer service in person and by telephone, identify concerns, provide eligibility-related guidance, and route issues to the appropriate clinical or administrative staff when needed.
- Use VistA, CPRS, Consult Tracking Manager (CTM), ISS, and VATAS in daily scheduling and administrative workflows, also use Microsoft Word and Excel.
- Independently organize and prioritize assigned scheduling work, including RTC orders, cancellations, rescheduling needs, and other clinic administrative tasks.
- Trained a newly hired MSA with no prior scheduling experience on daily clinic operations, scheduling workflows, and clinic systems. Developed a written reference guide for managing RTC orders to support consistent processing and independent work.
- Coordinated distribution of appointments requiring cancellation and rescheduling after a clinic provider departed, helping organize the affected workload and support continuity of Veteran care.
- Provide cross-coverage to multiple primary care clinics during staffing shortages, adapting to changing clinic priorities and assisting with outstanding scheduling work.
- Maintain compliance with HIPAA, VA privacy requirements, and confidentiality standards when handling sensitive Veteran and patient information.
Certified Nurse Assistant
1 Year 2 Months- Assisted patients with dressing, grooming, oral care, and other activities of daily living.
- Monitored meal intake and documented vital signs while completing daily assignments independently.
Certified Nurse Assistant
1 Year 4 Months- Monitored Veteran stability by checking and documenting vital signs and intake information.
- Assisted Veterans with dressing, eating, ambulation, and other activities of daily living and performed routine checks to ensure needs were met.
- Provided customer service to Veterans, visitors, and coworkers and communicated with staff from varied disciplines.
- Used CPRS, VistA, and VATAS and maintained compliance with HIPAA and VA privacy requirements.
Resident Assistant
2 Years 1 Month- Assisted residents with dressing, grooming, oral care, and routine care needs.
- Monitored meal intake and documented vital signs and intake information.
- Provided customer service to residents, visitors, and coworkers.
Resident Assistant
4 Years 2 Months- Assisted residents with bathing, dressing, grooming, oral care, meals, toileting, and mobility.
- Observed and reported vital signs and worked with providers, nurses, technicians, and clerical staff.
- Worked independently to complete daily tasks and assignments.
Customer Service Representative
3 Years 1 Month- Scheduled return-to-clinic appointments, laboratory services, X-rays, and other procedures.
- Processed clinic no-shows and cancellations and reviewed consults for appointment scheduling.
- Used Setmore clinic scheduling software, Microsoft Word, and Excel.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Healthcare Management
- In Progress
- 88.5 of 181 quarter credits completed
High School Diploma
Skills
Clinical appointment scheduling and return-to-clinic (RTC) order management
No-show
cancellation
and rescheduling workflows
Patient demographics
next-of-kin
telephone
and insurance verification
Interdisciplinary coordination with providers
nurses
and administrative staff
Veteran advocacy
VistA
CPRS
CTM
ISS
VATAS
Microsoft Word
and Excel
HIPAA compliance
Privacy regulations
Patient record management
Team collaboration
Detail-oriented
Patient communication
Accomplishments
- Employee of the Month - recognition for performance and service at the Dallas VA Medical Center.
- High Reliability Organization Good Catch Award (January 2026) - recognized for identifying a Veteran safety concern, immediately alerting clinical staff, obtaining additional support, and helping facilitate escalation to a higher level of care.
- Excellent Teamwork Award - recognition for collaboration and support of coworkers and clinical teams.
- Extraordinary Customer Service Award - recognition for service to Veterans.
Timeline
Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-0679-06 Step 03
Dallas VA Medical Center
10.2023 - CurrentRead More
Certified Nurse Assistant
Modern Senior Living
08.2022 - 10.2023Read More
Certified Nurse Assistant
Dallas VA Medical Center
11.2020 - 03.2022Read More
Resident Assistant
MacArthur Hills Senior Living
10.2018 - 11.2020Read More
Resident Assistant
Ecumen Lakeview Commons
07.2014 - 09.2018Read More
Customer Service Representative
ApexGroup
06.2011 - 07.2014Read More
Tartan Senior High School
High School Diploma
Read More
Walden University
Bachelor of Science from Healthcare Management
Read More