Advanced Medical Support Assistant

Basic Requirements

Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.).
Experience: None.
Licenses/Certifications/Registrations: None.
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.

Qualifications

• Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) - GS-6
• Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.
• Assignment: The Advanced Medical Support Assistant provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model.
• Work involves specialized administrative judgment and the flexible 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.
• 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. - assist with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge - communicate with non-VA medical facilities - prepare correspondence to notify patients of normal lab results - manage a system for follow-up care such as consults - tests - etc.)
• Other assignments at this level include - but are not limited to: processes incoming patient secure messaging through MyHealthyVet 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 - adjusts the flow and sequencing of the 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 their care at multiple VA centers or those who receive care in the community)
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: In addition to the basic requirement and the grade requirement - candidates must demonstrate/meet all of the KSAs below (MUST BE CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED IN RESUME): 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.

Responsibilities

• The Advanced MSA provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively within a interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model.
• Recommends / Develops changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines.
• 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 that clinic [schedules are] closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics - and makes adjustments as necessary.
• Other assignments at this level include - but are not limited to: 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 record - monitoring pre-appointment requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure (e.g. - X-ray - lab work) - managing electronic wait list to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues - participating and providing input in problem solving on operational issues or procedures in team meetings - performing administrative follow up actions - participating 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 to determine whether patient is vested - educating providers about share patients (those who receive their care at multiple VAs or those who have care in the community) and bringing to the attention of the provider.