Advanced Medical Support Assistant

About the role

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant coordinates with the patient care team to review clinic utilization using various reports (e.g., Clinic Utilization Statistical Summary) and ensures clinic setup is closely monitored to effectively support clinic needs, making adjustments as necessary. The employee develops and maintains effective and efficient communication with patients and/or caregivers, interdisciplinary teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies.

Responsibilities

• Provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model
• 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
• Answers phones, greets patients, relays messages to appropriate staff inside or outside the unit, and schedules appointments — including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines
• Utilizes specialized administrative judgment and flexibility in the 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
• Recommends changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines
• Schedules, cancels, and re-schedules patient appointments and/or consults
• Enters no-show information
• Monitors appointment requests from multiple electronic sources
• Participates in huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic
• Interviews patients for appointments
• Refers patients to other medical specialty clinics
• Provides information to patients necessary to resolve complaints
• Interacts with both internal and external customers
• Reviews and documents medical outpatient and inpatient electronic health records, as well as administrative records
• Verifies third-party insurance and updates information in the Insurance Capture Buffer (ICB) system
• Obtains medical information from patients
• Coordinates information and actions related to patient care and services
• Schedules appointments in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines
• Monitors both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility
• Verifies and updates 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 (e.g., TRICARE, sharing agreements, collaterals, research patients, VA employees)
• Expertise in utilizing numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics involved in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model
• Coordinates with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability/utilization to ensure clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics and adjusts as necessary
• Develops and/or maintains effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies (e.g., assists with communications during inpatient to outpatient discharge; communicates with non-VA medical facilities; prepares correspondence to notify patients of normal lab results; manages a system for follow-up care such as consults, tests, etc.)
• Processes incoming patient secure messaging through MyHealtheVet and coordinates with care team as appropriate
• Participates in team huddles and team meetings to manage, plan, problem solve, and follow up with patient care by sharing information and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team
• Sets priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of work to meet team and patient needs
• Identifies incomplete encounters and communicates findings to providers
• As needed, assists the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions
• Enters appropriate information into the electronic record
• Monitors pre-appointment information and/or requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure
• 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 team members about shared patients (i.e., those who receive care at multiple VA centers or those who receive care in the community)
• Manages Consults, Recall Reminders, and Return to Clinic orders
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

Basic Requirements

• Citizenship: Must be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. 7407(a).
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C.
• Education: High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
• Grade Determinations: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. At this level, the MSA independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting and advises clinical staff on current administrative processes.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)

Candidates must demonstrate all of the following:

• 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.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected is GS-06.

Physical Requirements: Refer to VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Schedule

• Work Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00 am–4:30 pm
• Telework: Ad hoc
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position

Additional Information

Functional Statement #: 12447F. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.