Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Full Job Description

This position will serve as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) in Care in the Community Service (CCS) at the VA Long Beach Healthcare System (VALBHS).

This position provides program support and assistance to the Community Care Program, on practical and technical aspects of office administration and other administrative support services.

The incumbent is part of a team of clinical and administrative staff working to coordinate accessible on time quality care for all Veterans.

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.

Medical Support Assistants 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 of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled. OR (2) Education.

Successful completion of two academic years above high school leading to an associate degree or a bachelor's degree with at least 12 semester hours in courses related to the position.

OR (3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying.

An example of a combination of experience/education is three months of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled and one year above high school with a minimum of 6 semester hours related to the health care industry.

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: Grade Determinations: GS-06 Experience: Completion of one year of progressive experience and/or experience equivalent to the next lower grade level directly related to the position being filled.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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 procedures.

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 providing administrative support in a clinical setting, coordinating patient care activities across multiple services.

Proficiency with scheduling systems such as VistA, CPRS, Consult Tracking Manager (CTM), HealthShare Referral Manager, (HSRM) and other electronic health record (EHR) platforms.

Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with patients, families, and interdisciplinary team members in person, by phone, and through secure messaging.

Skill in prioritizing tasks in a high-volume, fast-paced environment, ensuring accuracy and timeliness in scheduling, documentation, and patient tracking.

Knowledge of medical terminology, scheduling procedures, and consult management processes.

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: Sitting, Walking and Standing. Major Duties:

Duties include but are not limited to: Provides advanced administrative and consult coordination support for Care in the Community Service, integrating clinical and administrative functions to ensure seamless care between VA and non-VA settings.

Works collaboratively with PACT, specialty clinics, CCS, and other stakeholders (including community providers, hospitals, and diagnostic/treating facilities) in an interdisciplinary, team-based model of care.

Uses multiple electronic systems (VistA, CPRS, HealthShare Referral Manager, External Provider Scheduling, and related CCS tools) to manage consults, appointments, documentation, and communication.

Serves as CCS consult coordinator: receives, monitors, and tracks community care consults; ensures consults contain required information; routes any clinical issues and questions to appropriate clinical staff; and tracks completion and follow-up.

Coordinates internal and external care between Veterans, CCS staff, VA providers, and community providers, including communication on appointment needs, clinical documentation needs, and follow-up care requirements.

Uses mandatory tools for scheduling and to manage consults such as: VistA scheduling, Integrated Scheduling Solutions (ISS), HealthShare Referral Manager (HSRM), External Provider Scheduling (EPS), CPRS and Consult Tracking Manager (CTM).

Participates in team huddles and meetings to plan and coordinate patient care, adjust priorities and sequencing of work, and resolve operational scheduling or consult issues.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm Compressed/Flexible: Available at Management's Discretion Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized