Advanced Medical Support Assistant

Summary The Advance Medical Support Assistant is part of the Health Administration Section (HAS) of the Business Office Service Line. This position is located at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System (VACTHCS) - West Haven Campus. VA Connecticut Healthcare System is an integrated VA Healthcare system.Veteran population served is in Connecticut and Southern New England. 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: Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.)Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C.7407(a)Experience: NoneEducation: High school diploma - General Education Development equivalency certificate - or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of EducationLicensure/Certification/RegistrationNone English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C.7403(f)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 Determination: Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) GS-06: Experience: One (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in Federal service (GS-05)Experience includes: Clinic experience in a hospital or doctor's office setting to include scheduling a high volume of appointments annuallyHigh level customer service skills as evidenced by daily interaction and communication with clinicians - patients - families and coworkersEvidence of work in a clinic setting with multiple inputs (in person - telephone - instant message communications) that need timely and professional resolutionEvidence of specific computer scheduling programs or software utilized in a clinic or hospitalIn addition to 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 - AND - Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSA): In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of 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 careAdvanced 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 - etcAdvanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by cliniciansAdvanced 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 careAbility 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 metAbility to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines - ensuring compliance with established processes - policies - and regulationsAbility to communicate tactfully and effectively - electronically - by phone - in person - and in writing - with internal and external customersThis may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels - as well as resolving patient concernsPreferred Experience: Excellent Customer Service - Clerical or Administrative experience and Medical Office experienceReference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/Physical Requirements: The work requires some physical exertion such as prolonged periods of standing - bending - reaching - crouching - stooping - stretching - and lifting moderately heavy items such as papers - books - manuals - record boxes and boxes of computer paperComputers are used and therefore keyboarding is requiredThe work includes walking from area to area when covering other employeesApplicant may at times be exposed to stressful situations with VeteransSee VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Service for requirementsSee VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. Duties Incumbent serves as a Advance Medical Support Assistant for the Intake Unit of the Health Administration SectionThe Intake Unit encompasses the following functions: Eligibility/Enrollment Sections - VHIC (Veteran Health ID Card) processing - Clerical/Administrative support to the Emergency Room - Triage and Admission Office - Lodging - Decedent Affairs - Means Testing and KiosksIncumbent is responsible for providing administrative support for all functions of the Intake Unit including day-to-day office operations for all programsDuties may include - but are not limited to: Supports clinics regarding clinic profile managementCollects and updates insurance information from Veterans - family members and other eligible patientsPrepares correspondence and memos as neededScreens/receive phone calls in a courteous and timely manner - determine the nature of request and provide the information desired using privacy rules and established clinic processesEnsures data is entered into VISTA accurately and scans documents into VISTA Imaging within 24 hours of entering the data into VISTA if applicablePromotes Veterans registration for and utilization of MyHealthyVet (MHV) and kiosks usageFollows procedures regarding Community Care referralsServes as the initial point of contact for units - clinics - patients - call centers - Care in the Community regarding various aspects of patient appointments and referralsEnters Veterans seeking emergent/urgent care - scheduling appointments accuratelyPre-Registers Veterans during check-in and utilizing call lists and telephones Veterans before their scheduled visitsIncumbent updates all patient demographicsCommunicates and interacts with patients in a manner which is appropriate to cognitive - emotional - and chronological maturation needs of the adult and/or geriatric patientVA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo Work Schedule: Full-Time - 40 Hours a week - 8:00am - 4:30pm - ESTRecruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not AuthorizedPermanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not AuthorizedPay: 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)Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experienceParental 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 childChild 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 $416.66Retirement: 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 AvailableVirtual: This is not a virtual positionFunctional Statement #: F01391Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not AuthorizedNOTIFICATIONS: This position is in the Excepted ServiceNo EDRP/SLRPValid State Drivers LicenseValid Drivers License you will be expected to travel for this positionSalary Covered OPM LPS West Haven CT Pay ScaleThis Position is not covered by a Bargaining UnionFederal Employees MUST Submit Most Recent SF50 (within a year)Interchange Agreements with Other Merit System: Employees who occupy medical or medical-related positions and were appointed under 38 U.S.C. 4701(1) or (3) [formerly 38 U.S.C. 4104 (1) and (3)] must be serving in a full-time position without time limit and have served continuously for at least one year in the other merit system to be eligible to convert to the Title 5 SystemSome exceptions to this rule may apply if you have previously acquired tenure under a Title 5 appointment.