Medical Support Assistant (Advanced )

Full Job Description

The incumbent serves as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) assigned to Community Care Service.

The Community Care team that generally consists of two registered nurse care navigators and three to four administrative associate Medical Support Assistants (MSA) per teamlets.

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. 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. 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.

Grandfathering Provision All MSAs employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, which are a part of the basic requirements of the occupation.

For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: Such employees may be reassigned, promoted, or changed to a lower grade within the occupation Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.

If an employee who was converted to Title 38 hybrid status under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

Foreign Education: To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S.

must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S.

programs. Grade Determinations: GS-06 Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level.

You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting.

Advises clinical staff on current administrative processes.

Responsible for answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit, scheduling appointments, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.

Scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults. Entering no-show information. Monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources.

Participating in huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic, monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility Verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when patients check-in for appointments.

Coordinates administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals, and determines appointment type based on the patient's eligibility status (i.e., TRICARE, sharing agreements, collaterals, research patient, VA employee, etc.).

Additionally, candidates must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Please make sure that each is addressed in your application package.

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. References: APPENDIX G45. MEDICAL SUPPORT ASSISTANT QUALIFICATION STANDARD GS-0679.

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: The majority of the work is performed in an office setting, primarily while seated.

The position requires some standing, ambulation, bending and carrying of light items such as papers, office manuals and supplies.

Incumbent is required to sit for prolonged periods of time at a computer terminal typing data while communicating on a telephone handset or headset.

In addition, there can be increased stress due to fluctuating clinic volumes and the intensity of patient/customer complaints or concerns. Major Duties:

VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo Some of the major duties of this position include, and are not limited to: The Advanced MSA coordinates with their teamlets to set up care in the community under the Mission Act Standards.

They develop/maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary team, VA medical centers, and other agencies (e.g., assist with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge; communicate with non-VA medical facilities; facilitate/process secure messaging with the patient and team; notify patients of normal lab results; develop and manage a tracking system for follow up care such as consults, tests, etc.).

Performing various clerical and administrative duties for the department; Participating in team huddles and team meetings to manage and plan patient care; Setting priorities and deadlines for scheduling in the community, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs; May work with the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions and entering appropriate information into the Electronic Health Record (EHR); monitoring pre-appointment requirements to assure readiness for patient care in the community; Managing active and schedule list of consults in community care; Participating and providing input in problem solving on operational issues or procedures in team meetings, performing administrative follow up actions; Participating in and independently following up on team huddles by sharing information; Precepting and assisting in deskside training for new staff or new team members and collaborating with the medical team to assure continuity of care while in the community and back to the VA.

For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.

Responsible for reporting backlogs, difficulties in meeting deadlines, uncooperative physicians, or difficulty in securing information from clinicians or the record.

Is responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of information obtained to carry out required duties.

Routinely communicates with physicians, case managers, and other allied health professional staff using sound interpersonal skills and is constantly aware of the sensitive information.

Otherwise, works independently making decisions based on guidelines, precedents and regulations and performs duties in such a manner that only minimal supervision is required.

Performance is judged in terms of overall effectiveness of the operation through broad general objectives, the adequacy and accuracy of the work, timeliness, and conformance to established procedures, policies and instructions.

Work Schedule: 7:30 am - 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: PD92613-0 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized