Advanced Medical Support Assistant- Eye Care Services

Full Job Description

The incumbent serves as an Advanced Level Medical Support Assistant (MSA) at the Columbus Veterans Affairs Ambulatory Care Center.

The Advanced MSA works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model within the Eye Care Services.

The incumbent performs duties related to the receipt, intake, and indexing of health and administrative information.

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: 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/Education: 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, One year above high school; OR, Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.

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: Advanced Medical Support Assistant, GS-06. Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the [GS-5] grade level. Assignment.

The Advanced MSA provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model.

Work involves specialized administrative judgment and the flexible use of a wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and/or care in the community resources.

Recommends changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines.

Expertise in utilizing numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics involved in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model.

Coordinates with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability utilization to ensure that clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics, and makes adjustments as necessary.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Preferred Experience: Experience with scheduling in the Federal Electronic Health Record, customer service, medical terminology.

Ability to work in fast paced environment while maintaining the mission, vision, and ICARE values of the VA.

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-06.

Physical Requirements: The Advanced Medical Support Assistant position is primarily sedentary with occasional periods of standing, walking, and bending while filing, carrying office supplies, and/or escorting Veterans and/or their paperwork to different clinical areas.

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant's work is performed in an outpatient clinic setting, which may include contact with patients having acute and chronic conditions, including psychiatric conditions.

Major Duties:

The Advanced MSA works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model in Ambulatory Care Center.

Duties at this level include, but are not limited to: Coordinates with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability (utilization) to ensure that clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics and makes adjustments as necessary.

Develop/maintains effective and efficient communication with the patient, team, VA medical centers, and other agencies.

Setting priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs; working with the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions and entering appropriate information into the electronic record.

Managing electronic wait list to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues.

Participating and providing input in problem solving on operational issues or procedures in team meetings and performing administrative follow up actions.

Provides the customer with consistent information according to established policies and procedures. Handles conflict and problems relating to the customer in a constructive and appropriate manner.

Schedules, cancels and reschedules patients' appointments, enters no-show information; monitors the electronic wait list; prepares for clinic visits; monitors outpatient appointments for areas of responsibility.

Verifies and updates demographics and insurance information; maintains multiple work queues for established and new patients within the service.

Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 8:30am-5:00pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.

Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.

Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #:93048-A Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized