Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Functional Statement #: 53753-F

About the role

Advanced Medical Support Assistant assigned to a Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) model in Primary Care, Mental Health, Specialty Care, Inpatient Ward, and Eligibility and Enrollments. The PACT team is a primary care team generally consisting of a primary care provider (MD, NP, PA), registered nurse care manager, clinical associate (LPN or medical assistant/health technician), and an administrative associate (MNMSA/health technician). The Advanced MSA provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. Work involves specialized administrative judgment and flexible use of a wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and/or community care resources.

Qualifications

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.
• Experience and Education:
  • Six months experience of clerical, office, customer service, or other administrative work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position
  • OR one year above high school
  • OR equivalent combination of experience and education
• English Language Proficiency: MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.j.
• Grandfathering Provision: May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees in this occupation who meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations – Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) GS-6

• One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level.
• Assignment involves specialized administrative judgment, flexible use of clinical flow processes across multiple clinics/specialties/community resources, recommending changes to clinic procedures, expertise in advanced patient systems, coordinating with care teams to review clinic appointment availability and utilization, and developing/maintaining effective communication with patients, interdisciplinary teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies.
• Higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity, and range of variety as described in the standard at the specified grade level and be performed at least 25% of the time.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)

• 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 and 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, including preparing reports in various formats, presenting data to various organizational levels, and resolving patient concerns.
• Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process (including scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or community care 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 community care operational activities affecting patient flow and patient support care administrative functions (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.
• Grandfathering Provision may apply (only for current VHA employees in this occupation who meet criteria).

Preferred Experience

• One year experience in scheduling medical appointments.

Reference: VA Qualification Standards

Responsibilities

• Coordinate with the patient care team to review clinic utilization using reports such as the Clinic Utilization Statistical Summary.
• Monitor clinic setup to support clinical needs and make necessary adjustments.
• Develop and maintain effective communication with patients, interdisciplinary teams, medical centers, and outside agencies.
• Assist with communication during inpatient-to-outpatient discharge processes.
• Communicate with non-VA medical facilities as needed.
• Facilitate and process secure messaging between patients and care teams (My HealtheVet).
• Notify patients of normal lab results.
• Develop and manage tracking systems for follow-up care (consults, tests, etc.).
• Participate in team huddles and meetings to plan and coordinate patient care.
• Set priorities, deadlines, and adjust workflow to meet patient and team needs.
• Reinforce the plan of care and enter appropriate data into the electronic medical record.
• Monitor pre-appointment requirements to ensure the patient is ready for visits or procedures (X-ray, labs, etc.).
• Evaluate patient information and clinic schedules to determine vested status.
• Educate providers about shared patients receiving care from multiple VA or community sources.
• Perform higher-level duties requiring administrative independence and complexity at least 25% of the time.
• Coordinate patient care by interpreting and verifying provider orders per VHA scheduling guidelines.
• Evaluate clinics and provider schedules to accurately schedule Veterans within required timeframes upon discharge.
• Maintain effective communication with interdisciplinary teams, nursing staff, patients, families, VA facilities, and other agencies.
• Facilitate secure messaging with outpatient clinics to ensure timely scheduling for follow-up care across PACT and specialty clinics.
• Problem-solve operational issues and perform administrative follow-up actions.
• Collaborate with various teams to ensure continuity of care.
• Provide clerical support including mailing letters, phone calls, printing labels/armbands, maintaining rosters, and running reports (inpatient roster, morning report, G&L, critically ill lists, OR schedules).
• Accurately process all patient movements (inter-ward transfers, discharges, RAS, AS passes <96 and >96 hours).
• Screen for required administrative and medical documentation (advance directives, organ donation screenings, preregistration info).
• Use programs such as CPRS, VistA, VistA Scheduling, VCM, Microsoft Word, Teams, Morning Report, ICB, Message Manager, When to Work, and Outlook to complete duties efficiently.

Schedule

Monday – Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm or 8:00am to 4:30pm.