What are the responsibilities and job description for the Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) position at Audie L Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital?
The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) in the South Texas Veterans Healthcare System Contact Center (CCC) is part of an interprofessional healthcare team. AMSA provides support across multiple ancillary and interprofessional clinics and determines the needs of the Veteran/caregiver. The AMSA is responsible for routing clinical questions to appropriate clinical staff, and plays an integral role in achieving first-contact resolution through Veteran-centered delivery of care.
Basic Requirements:
Grade Determinations: Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-06.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6.
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional
Duties may include but are not limited to:
The Advanced MSA provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interprofessional 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. Works collaboratively with STVHCS programs, services, and interprofessional coordinated care team members to provide access to care and meet the needs of Veterans via various available contact
modalities to include but not limited to telephone calls, secure messaging, chat, text messaging and video. The AMSA is responsible for answering telephones, secure messages, and chat messages, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the STVHCS CC, scheduling appointments, interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. 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 interprofessional coordinated care delivery model. AMSAs at this level develop and/or maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interprofessional care delivery teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies; communicate with non-VA medical
facilities.
Other assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; gathering and obtaining medical information from patients; processing medication refill requests; reviewing electronic health record, obtaining medical records, faxing, participating in huddles with other MSAs and/or peers to determine the daily needs of the STVHCS CC, monitoring outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility; and verifying and updating demographics when contacted by patients.
Manages patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues; evaluates patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether the patient requires an immediate appointment; informs interprofessional team members about shared patients (i.e.)., those who receive their care at multiple VA sites or those who receive care in the community. 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.
Provides information and resolution to Veterans' requests within scope, uses administrative judgement to escalate symptomatic concerns to clinicians within the STVHCS CC or directs the contact to the appropriate discipline within the STVHCS or department for resolution. Screens incoming contacts and independently routes the contacts to the appropriate area for resolution. Uses advanced knowledge of health care process as it relates to access of care to ensure Veteran appointment scheduling is efficient, operational and prioritized to maintain Veteran flow and clinic readiness.
Other related duties may be assigned.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
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: Available on an Ad-hoc basis.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 54505-F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Qualifications:
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.
- Experience: None.
- Education: High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
- Licensure/Certification/Registration: None.
- Grandfathering Provision: 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).
- Foreign Education: To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials.
- Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.
- English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
Grade Determinations: Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-06.
- Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade, GS-05.
- Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
- 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.
- 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.
- Demonstrates effective verbal and written communication skills to interact professionally with Veterans, caregivers, clinical staff, and interdisciplinary teams. Skilled in using Microsoft Outlook to coordinate schedules, manage high volume email communication.
- Ability to clearly document, relay, and interpret information in both verbal and written formats while following VA standards and patient privacy requirements.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently, managing tasks, priorities, and patient workflows with minimal supervision while maintaining accuracy and compliance.
- Proven team collaboration skills, working effectively with clinical and administrative staff to support operations for coordination of patient care.
- Knowledge of medical terminology.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6.
Responsibilities:
VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELoTotal Rewards of a Allied Health Professional
Duties may include but are not limited to:
The Advanced MSA provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interprofessional 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. Works collaboratively with STVHCS programs, services, and interprofessional coordinated care team members to provide access to care and meet the needs of Veterans via various available contact
modalities to include but not limited to telephone calls, secure messaging, chat, text messaging and video. The AMSA is responsible for answering telephones, secure messages, and chat messages, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the STVHCS CC, scheduling appointments, interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. 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 interprofessional coordinated care delivery model. AMSAs at this level develop and/or maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interprofessional care delivery teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies; communicate with non-VA medical
facilities.
Other assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; gathering and obtaining medical information from patients; processing medication refill requests; reviewing electronic health record, obtaining medical records, faxing, participating in huddles with other MSAs and/or peers to determine the daily needs of the STVHCS CC, monitoring outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility; and verifying and updating demographics when contacted by patients.
Manages patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues; evaluates patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether the patient requires an immediate appointment; informs interprofessional team members about shared patients (i.e.)., those who receive their care at multiple VA sites or those who receive care in the community. 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.
Provides information and resolution to Veterans' requests within scope, uses administrative judgement to escalate symptomatic concerns to clinicians within the STVHCS CC or directs the contact to the appropriate discipline within the STVHCS or department for resolution. Screens incoming contacts and independently routes the contacts to the appropriate area for resolution. Uses advanced knowledge of health care process as it relates to access of care to ensure Veteran appointment scheduling is efficient, operational and prioritized to maintain Veteran flow and clinic readiness.
Other related duties may be assigned.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
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: Available on an Ad-hoc basis.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 54505-F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Salary : $417