Advanced Medical Support Assistant

The Advanced MSA, is a foundational role within Care in the Community / Non-VA Care department at the Durham VA. The work impacts the timely administering aspect of patient care, including: proper eligibility review, timely authorization, coordinating care in the community, ensuring care is scheduled and rendered accordingly, consult management, wait list management including Veterans choice List and Electronic Wait List, obtaining and routing proper medical records, and customer service.

Qualifications:

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). 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: In addition to meeting the basic requirements listed above, you must meet the grade requirements at the GS-5 level to qualify for this position.

GS-6 Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) Specialized Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. This includes but is not limited to; independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting; 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.).

In addition, you must have experience which demonstrates the following knowledge, skills and abilities:

• 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: SeeVA 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.

Responsibilities:

The Advanced MSA works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model within Care in the Community. The incumbent assists Veterans by explaining community programs, coordinating their care in the community through various avenues, and providing customer service to be the patient's liaison between the VA Medical Center and the community provider.

Duties of the Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) include but are not limited to:

• Coordinates with the Care in the Community team to review consult utilization by using various reports and communication methods
• Performs a variety of administrative functions associated with patient care and treatment include inpatient, outpatient, and/or GEC program services.
• Supports patient safety standards by requiring the correct Veterans Affairs identification of all patients
• Creates and issues authorizations for approved care
• Validate, collects, scans and update patient demographic and health insurance information
• Provide accurate appointment management
• Coordinate all administrative information between professional staff and patients
• Responsible for scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient's appointments and/or consults
• Promotes veteran registration for and utilization of my HealtheVet
• Train other MSA levels on the insurance capture buffer (ICB) process
• Screen/ receive calls in a courteous and timely manner and provide information in accordance with privacy rules
• Ensure that all necessary health/administrative information is integrated into computerized patient record system (CPRS)
• Schedule appointments utilizing the electronic waiting list
• Daily review of active/pending consults and electronic waiting list
• Perform a variety of duties in support of data entry and collection for the unit.
• Gathering and obtaining medical information from patients; processing medication refill requests; reviewing electronic health record, obtaining medical records, faxing.
• Participate in team huddles with other MSAs, clinical and administrative staff.
• Maintains appointment schedules for one or more outpatient clinics
• Have a solid knowledge of multiple electronic systems such as VISTA and Microsoft Office Suite

This list of job duties is not inclusive of all duties associated with this position.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8am - 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: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Salary : $417