Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

About the role

This is an open continuous announcement which will be used to fill any Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) position that may become vacant within the Erie VA Healthcare System and associated CBOCs for which we are hiring and can be used for up to 90 days after the announcement closes. Applicants will be referred as positions become available.

Responsibilities

• Answering phones, communicating and relaying messages and information to Veterans, to appropriate staff inside or outside of the VA.
• Ensuring accurate and timely scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines to include changes in policies and procedures.
• Processes patient and vendor issues through Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) and coordinates with appropriate entities.
• Maintains an updated data base of community medical services to assist Veterans with locating medical care in the community.
• 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.).
• Recommends process improvements to existing Care in the Community procedures based on current administrative guidelines.
• Closely monitors the patient care team schedule and makes adjustments 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.
• 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.
• Enters appropriate information into the electronic record; monitors consults, pre-appointment information and/or requirements to assure appointment readiness for patient visit/procedure; ensuring transfer of medical records from and to the VAMC and other facilities, ensuring health care delivery.
• Manages patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues; evaluates patient information and determines whether the patient requires an immediate appointment; informs team members about shared patients.

Requirements

This announcement is open to all US Citizens.

Note: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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.

• Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level;
• Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below

1. 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.
2. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.

Benefits

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.