Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

About the role

The position serves as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant within the Battle Creek VAMC. The incumbent's work impacts the administrative aspect of patient care including: access - scheduling/ coordinating appointments using advanced clinic access principles - collecting and updating demographic and insurance information - managing the Electronic Waiting List - patient processing - customer service; and staffing - training - compliance - reporting - quality assurance - and budgetary initiatives are met.

Responsibilities

• 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
• AMSAs are 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, rescheduling 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
• Captures and updates patient information in the Electronic Health Record (EHR)
• 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.)
• Communicates with non-VA medical facilities to create authorization for payment of community care in the Healthshare Referral Manager (HSRM) or alternative software with pertinent information including the community provider's name, address, category of care, referral number, number of visits, purpose of visit, and length of authorization
• Maintains awareness and proficiency in all web-based applications to include PPMS, CTM, and third-party administrator portal
• Serves as an administrative point of contact in the request, coordination, and authorization for community care consults
• Works collaboratively with Registered Nurse Care Coordinators, Program Analyst, and other VA Staff and Community Care providers
• Receives, handles, and transfers calls appropriately with regard to telephone inquires from numerous sources including patients, other VA staff, and community providers concerning items including but not limited to authorization terms, appointment status, and billing/claims status
• Prepares correspondence to be sent to community care providers that includes details about the terms of the authorization, the appointment date and time, and all pertinent clinical data as instructed by the RN

Requirements

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
• No experience required
• High school diploma - General Education Development equivalency certificate - or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education
• Licensure/Certification/Registration: None

Physical Requirements

The work is mostly sedentary. It typically requires sitting with sustained periods of concentration. There will be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of relatively light objects. The position may also require stooping, reaching, lifting, pulling, and other moderate exertion or strain. Incumbent may occasionally have to walk some distance to a meeting.

Qualifications

Advanced Medical Support Assistant - GS-6

• Experience - One (1) full year of 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
• AMSAs are 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, rescheduling 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
• captures and updates patient information in the Electronic Health Record (EHR)
• 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.)
• communicates with non-VA medical facilities to create authorization for payment of community care in the Healthshare Referral Manager (HSRM) or alternative software with pertinent information including the community provider's name, address, category of care, referral number, number of visits, purpose of visit, and length of authorization
• maintains awareness and proficiency in all web-based applications to include PPMS, CTM, and third-party administrator portal
• serves as an administrative point of contact in the request, coordination, and authorization for community care consults
• works collaboratively with Registered Nurse Care Coordinators, Program Analyst, and other VA Staff and Community Care providers
• receives, handles, and transfers calls appropriately with regard to telephone inquires from numerous sources including patients, other VA staff, and community providers concerning items including but not limited to authorization terms, appointment status, and billing/claims status
• prepares correspondence to be sent to community care providers that includes details about the terms of the authorization, the appointment date and time, and all pertinent clinical data as instructed by the RN

Skills

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

Benefits

N/A

Pay

GS-06

Schedule

Monday to Friday
8:00 am to 4:30 pm