What are the responsibilities and job description for the Advanced Medical Support Assistant position at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs?
Summary
The incumbent serves as a Medical Support Assistant in a Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) of the Primary Care Division - at the VA Portland Health Care System. The incumbent performs duties related to the receipt - intake - and indexing of health and administrative information. The incumbent will interface with personal computer (PC) applications as well as numerous Vista applications.
Qualifications
Basic Requirements:
The incumbent serves as a Medical Support Assistant in a Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) of the Primary Care Division - at the VA Portland Health Care System. The incumbent performs duties related to the receipt - intake - and indexing of health and administrative information. The incumbent will interface with personal computer (PC) applications as well as numerous Vista applications.
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
- 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
- Employees in VHA in this occupation - under a permanent - appropriate - and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard - are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and/or assignment held - including positive education and registration/certification where applicable
- For employees who do not meet all the basic or assignment-specific requirements in this standard but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed - the following provisions apply: (1) 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
- (2) Employees retained in this occupation under this provision who subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation
- NOTE: This provision is not intended to regularize appointments/ placements
- 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for placement at grade levels specified
- Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) - GS-06
- (1) Experience
- One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade
- (2) Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs)
- In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) 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
- (b) 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
- (c) Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians
- (d) 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
- (e) Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines - ensuring compliance with established processes - policies - and regulations
- (f) 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
- 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. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-6 to GS-6.
- Functions or Scope of Assigned Duties: 50% Medical Support Assistant: The MSA is responsible for scheduling appointments - including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines
- Assignments at this level include - but are not limited to: scheduling - canceling - rescheduling patient's appointments
- monitoring the electronic wait list
- Assists other PACT team members in identifying appointments are verified as checked out or no showed
- verifying and updating demographics
- and discussing basic eligibility and co-pays with patients
- The MSA verifies that insurance information is accurate and complete at time of visit or as requested by veteran and is updated using current software
- Complies with the mandatory training requirements for the outpatient scheduling process
- 50% Advanced Scope: Advanced Scope: In addition to the full performance duties of the GS-679-5 MSA - the Advanced MSA works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model in a Primary Care setting
- The Advanced MSA coordinates with the PACT to review the clinic utilization by using various reports (e.g. - Clinic Utilization Statistical Summary) - ensure that the clinic setup is closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinic - and make any necessary adjustments to the provider matrices by means coordinating with supervisors
- They develop/maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient - interdisciplinary team - VA medical centers - and other agencies
- (e.g. - assist with communications
- communicate with non-VA medical facilities
- facilitate/process secure messaging with the patient and team)
- Supervisory Controls: Employee plans and organizes work with general assistance of the supervisor as to meet local and VA-wide time frames to complete analysis requirements - reports and special assignments and only refers to the non-routine and high technical problems to his/her supervisor
- The incumbent is 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
- Work Schedule: Compressed/Flexible: No Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
- When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
- 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) Highly qualified selected applicants with exceptional skills and experiences 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: No Virtual: This is not a virtual position
- Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Salary : $56,716 - $73,731