Advanced Medical Support Assistant

Full Job Description

The position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6), Salisbury VA Health Care System (SVAHCS) and is organizationally aligned within Social Work Service.

The primary purpose of the position is to provide personalized, supportive services to families, caregivers, and survivors at the end of a Veteran's life, and ensures Veterans without identified family receive dignified burials to honor their service.

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: MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.j.

Experience and Education: (1) 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, (2) Education: One year above high school; OR, (3) Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combination of experience and education are.

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: Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: i.

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.

ii. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations. iii.

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. iv.

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.

v.

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.

vi. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.

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-6.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. This is mostly a sedentary position. There was be some light lifting up to 25lbs, bending, standing, stooping, walking.

This position will require you to work in from of a computer screen for 90% of your day. Major Duties:

VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo The position serves as the SME and provides administrative support for the SAMS program.

Ensures compliance with the local policy and procedures pertaining to patients who expire while receiving care within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) (i.e: VA medical center, hospital, nursing home, or domiciliary setting).

Ensures Veterans and their next of kin (NOK) receive respectful, compassionate and dignified care and services in accordance with the Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), National Cemetery Administration (NCA), and state and local regulations; care and services reflect sensitivity to religious, cultural and special considerations of the Veteran and the NOK served.

Prepares and disseminates materials to educate Veterans and their families on the SAMS program and provides detailed guidance regarding guidelines and support options.

Coordinates between service lines (i.e: Health Administration (HAS), Chief of Staff (COS), Fiscal, Primary Care), facility sites of care, VISN, VBA, the National Program Office, National Cemetery Administration (NCA) and other external agencies, for all SAMS program needs and issues.

Engages with funeral homes, mortuaries, crematoria, cemeteries, court houses, hospitals, medical examiners on a local and state level on a consistent and professional basis.

Provides seamless administrative support following a veteran's death, interfacing with state health departments to ensure compliance with death registration protocols and engaging with local funeral homes to arrange dignified services for unclaimed remains.

Gathers information, analyzes and reports program data, identifies problems, and makes general recommendations based on data to the Assistant Chief, Social Work and other staff in support of the SAMS program.

MAJOR DUTIES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TOO: Program Administration and Technical Support Advises Veterans and their next of kin (NOK) of burial benefits.

Help Veterans and NOK prearrange burial, interment, cremation, as desired by Veteran. Advises surviving relatives about burial benefits and other potential benefits provided by VA.

Reviews eligibility and entitlement of burial and death allowances and advises on the process for applying for those benefits.

Refers surviving relatives with specific benefit inquiries to a Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) point of contact, not the toll-free telephone number.

Informs Veteran, caregiver and NOK of available supportive services within the medical facility, such as Chaplaincy and Social Work, to provide support at end of life and immediately following death.

Provides general education, training and resources about SAMS to staff throughout the hospital, community living centers (CLC) and community who provide support to Veterans at end-of-life and to their family and NOK.

Participates in facility initiatives relating to No Veteran Dies Alone (NVDA).

Data Collection & Tracking Support The Incumbent Collaborates with palliative care to promote quality end-of-life care by assisting in developing action plans and process improvements related to quantitative and qualitative reporting from the Bereaved Family Survey.

Uses information systems such as the Decedent Affairs Data Collection Tool, Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS), Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA), and NC Database Application for Vital Events (NCDAVE) to track service activities including visits, referrals, demographics, and manage death certificates signatures.

Collects, analyzes, and reports program data to local management, the designated VISN Point of Contact (POC) and the National SAMS Program (ie: reviews DACT Power BI reports, Decedent Affairs Data Collection Tracker reports, and Bereaved Family Survey data).

Maintains proficiency in using local, regional and national databases. Collects and manages new data about current practices in the department and across sites of care.

Fiscal Management Collaborates with Fiscal service to financially support SAMS operations.

Assesses past budget requirements, projects future budget needs, submits budget requests and manages program budget.

Conducts quarterly audits of patient fund accounts to identify any deceased patient fund accounts in accordance with VA policies and local procedures.

Initiates disposition of funds when deceased patient fund account balance is identified. Develops and maintains monthly and fiscal year variance reports.

Utilize Integrated Funds Distribution Control Point Activity (IFCAP) and Fund Control Point (FCP) processes with delegated responsibility to resolve funding needs, as needed.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8am - 4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.