Advanced Medical Support Assistant

This vacancy is for an Advanced Medical Support Assistant in the Hampton VA Healthcare System. The Advanced MSA works collaboratively in a coordinated care delivery model and performs receptionist duties, customer service and other duties assigned. The incumbent must assist with clinic access contingency plans by adjusting appointment times, location, or dates as well as shift patients to other healthcare providers as conflict with staffing and/or coverage occurs.

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: Must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j.
• Experience and Education:
  • Experience: Six months experience of clerical, office or other 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.

Grade Determinations: GS-6 Advanced Medical Support Assistant. Specialized Experience: In addition to the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-6 grade level requires a minimum of one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. This experience may include 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. Advises clinical staff on current administrative processes. The AMSA is 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. 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; 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:

1. Ability to collaborate, communicate, set priorities, and organize the work in order to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
2. Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, both orally and in writing, in order to meet program objectives. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels.
3. Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process as it relates to access to care.
4. Advanced knowledge of managing a clinic. This includes independently utilizing reference sources, decision making, and empowering the team to collaborate and resolve problems within a complex systems environment.
5. Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with operational activities that affect the patient flow, patient care, and the revenue process.
6. 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/.

Physical Requirements: Work is generally sedentary in nature with some walking, standing and bending. Occasionally requires moderate physical activity, e.g. carrying light items such as books and papers, or lifting boxes or records.

Responsibilities:

The incumbent serves as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant (Specialty and Primary Care -PACT) in the Hampton VA Healthcare System located at the Hampton VA Medical Center. 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, VSE, CPRS, VSSC applications.

• Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: scheduling, cancelling, rescheduling patients appointments and/or consults including imaging studies; entering no show information daily; preparing for clinic visit by printing out the daily patient appointment list; monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments for area's or responsibility; ensuring encounters forms are completed in order to obtain appropriate workload credit; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information through insurance card buffer (ICB); performing basic eligibility, printing the (EARR) encounter action required report for the area assigned daily.
• Works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model (i.e., patient aligned care team, or other specialty care setting where the patient aligned care team model is used such as Eye, ENT, Oncology, Women's Health, etc.).
• Coordinates with the patient care team (LPN, RN, Clinician/Provider, Social worker, Pharmacist, etc.). to review the clinic utilization by using various report clinic utilization statistical summary, Encounter Action Required Report (EARR), clinic cancellations, specialty consults report, Consult Tracking Manager (CTM), recall delinquency report, secure messages, VeTEXT, VAR, as well as SAIL/ HEDIS metrics that directly impact the PACT team's metrics for patient care.
• Other assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: scanning, participating in team huddles and team meetings to manage and plan patient care: setting priorities and deadlines 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; monitoring pre-appointment requirements to assure patient readiness for patient visit/procedure (X-ray, lab-work, etc); 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 and collaborating with the medical team to assure continuity of care; evaluating patient information and clinic schedule lists; educating providers about shared patients (those who receive their care at multiple VA's or those who have care in the community through the VA MISSION Act) and bringing it to the attention of the provider.
• Uses MS Word or comparable word processing software to execute several office automation functions such as storing and retrieving electronic documents and files; activating printers; inserting and deleting text; formatting and mailing of patient letters, reports and memoranda; and transmitting and receiving e-mail. Performs traditional office automation duties such as faxing, scanning, and completing documentation to request medical records from community providers.
• Responsible for call responsiveness to provide telephone support to internal and external customers for scheduling actions, general questions, or contacting patients as requested by the care team.

Work Schedule: 7:30am-4pm; 8:00am-4:30pm (Monday thru Friday)
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Salary : $54,357