Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Summary The Advanced Medical Support Assistant serves in the Dental Clinic at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center in Martinsburg - West Virginia. The position directly impacts the administrative and operational aspects of Veteran care delivery - including access management - appointment scheduling - and coordination using advanced clinic access principles - patient processing - customer service - and data integrity. 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: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA PolicyEnglish Language ProficiencyCandidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C.7403(f)ExperienceNo experience requiredEducationHigh school diploma - General Education Development equivalency certificate - or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of EducationLicensure/Certification/RegistrationNoneForeign EducationTo 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 credentialsGrade Determinations: GS-6 In addition to the Basic Requirements listed above - the following experience criteria and KSAs must be met when determining the grade of candidates: Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade levelExperience is defined as experience that includes - but is not limited to: scheduling - canceling - re-scheduling patient's appointments and/or consultsentering no-show informationmonitoring the electronic wait listpreparing for clinic visitsmonitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments for areas of responsibilityensuring encounter forms are completed in order to obtain appropriate workload creditverifying and updating demographics and insurance informationprocessing all emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitalsperforming basic eligibility - co-pays and pre-authorization requirements for specific coverage (i.e. - TRICARE - sharing agreements - etc.)AND Knowledge - Skills and Abilities: 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 the language utilized by cliniciansAbility 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 customersAssignmentFor all assignments above the FPL - the higher-level duties must be of significant scope - administrative independence - complexity - and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the timeAt the advanced level - the Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) (AMSA) performs difficult and responsible specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery modelWork 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 resourcesRecommend changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelinesExpertise in utilizing numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics involved in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery modelCoordinates 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 necessaryMSAs at this level develop and/or maintain 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 dischargecommunicate with non-VA medical facilitiesprepare correspondence to notify patients of normal lab resultsmanage 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 appropriateparticipates 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 teamsetting priorities and deadlines - adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needsidentifies incomplete encounters and communicates findings to providersas neededassists the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutionsenters appropriate information into the electronic recordmonitors pre-appointment information and/or requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/proceduremanages patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issuesevaluates patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether the patient requires an immediate appointmentinforms team members about shared patients (i.e. - those who receive their care at multiple VA centers or those who receive care in the community)Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Service for requirementsSee VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Service - for requirements. Duties The Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) works independently - exercising sound judgment to resolve administrative issues that affect patient care deliveryDuties include reception - daily patient processing - and knowledge to support the Specialty Care Service (Dental Service)The position requires excellent communication skills - effective problem-solving - and the ability to support continuous clinic operations - including staggered shifts or weekend clinics when neededThe AMSA reports directly to the Administrative Officer - Dental Service at the Martinsburg VA Medical CenterDuties may include - but are not limited to: Serves as a primary administrative support resource for outpatient clinics - independently managing complex scheduling and access activities in accordance with VHA and local policiesResponsible for coordinating care between the Veterans Dental hygienist - General Dentist - Specialty Provider - and Dental Laboratory Technicians to ensure the case is scheduled appropriately and proceeds without delayPerforms receptionist duties - both face-to-face and telephonically - including ACD/call room scheduling coverage - providing courteous - timely - and Veteran-centered customer service while safeguarding privacy and confidentialityScreens and receives incoming calls - determines the nature of requests - and provides accurate information or resolution using established clinic processes and privacy regulationsUsing VHA approved scheduling and appointment applications - coordinates - schedules - reschedules - and cancels appointments using advanced access principlesadjusts appointment times - dates - or locations to support contingency plans related to staffing shortages or provider availabilityShifts patients to alternate providers or clinics as needed to ensure continuity of care and compliance with mandated access standardsManages and performs daily reviews of active and pending consults - ICB Web - VA Online Scheduling (VAOS) - Open Slot Management (OSM) - Audio care communications to ensure accuracy - proper disposition - and timely follow-up - as well as end-of-day review of no-show and/or patient cancellation reports and disposition accordinglyCollects - verifies - and updates Veteran demographic - verifies eligibility - and insurance information to support accurate billing - reporting - and revenue cycle activitiesNotifies supervisors or clinic leadership when clinic access is suboptimal or when Veterans cannot be scheduled within required timeframesParticipates in daily team huddles and weekly team meetings focused on patient care planning and management - except when clinic coverage requirements necessitate absenceCoordinates administrative services for Veterans - family members - caregivers - the general public - and interdisciplinary staff to ensure continuity of inpatient and outpatient careEnsures receipt - processing - and integration of medical and administrative records into the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) - including initiating scanning when requiredInterprets and applies a complex body of laws - regulations - directives - and policies governing VA health care benefits and administrative operationsDevelops and maintains effective working relationships with clinical and administrative staff to establish priorities and support direct patient careAssists with workload distribution among Clinical Support Section employees in accordance with established workflows or job specialization to ensure timely completion of workProvides guidance - direction - and oversight of Clinical Support Section employees in the absence of the supervisorParticipates in performance improvement - access management - and quality assurance initiatives to enhance clinic operations and Veteran satisfactionWork Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual positionFunctional Statement #: 613-23062-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized