Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

About the role

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 and/or care in the community resources and impacts the administrative aspect of patient care.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements

• Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. 7407(a).
• Experience: None required.
• Education: 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.
• Foreign Education: 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 (GS-6 Advanced Medical Support Assistant)

• Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. GS-5 experience includes, but is not limited to: scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling 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 daily clinic needs; monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when patients check-in; coordinating administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals; determining appointment type based on patient eligibility status (e.g., TRICARE, sharing agreements, collaterals, research patient, VA employee).
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Candidates must demonstrate all of the following:
  • Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process (including 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 (e.g., appointment cycles, outside patient referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, provider availability).
  • 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, 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