Advanced Medical Support Assistant

Advanced Medical Support Assistant

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (Advanced MSA) is responsible for a range of clerical and administrative duties that demonstrate the advanced level of the MSA. The VA San Francisco Health Care System (VASFHCS) uses a practice group concept that combines managed care and primary care treatment models. Each care team consists of identifiable and consistent team members that include physicians, nursing staff, and administrative support.

Responsibilities Advanced MSA's are multi-functional employees with full clerical capabilities and responsibilities. The Advanced MSA are considered chief sources of information and play an important role in accomplishing the work of the unit by performing duties below. At this level the incumbent must have the ability to multi-task, working rapidly and independently with a high degree of accuracy. The Advanced MSA must be dependable, use good judgement and effectively/accurately analyze and evaluate all situations to ensure the veteran receives the highest quality of care. Good written and oral communication skills are essential. The incumbent works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model to ensure delivery of coordinated, high quality, efficient and patient-centered care.

The Advanced MSA is the primary source of contact to the patient by phone and/or in person, acts as a liaison to the clinical staff and provides administrative assistance for the assigned Clinic. As a front-line contact to the patient, the Advanced MSA sets the tone for perception concerning the quality of healthcare services provided by VA. They develop/maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary team, VA medical centers, and other agencies.

Assigned duties include but are not limited to:

• Working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery environment (i.e., patient aligned care team, or other specialty care).
• Operate computerized programs and databases to enter, modify and retrieve sensitive information/data into or from electronic medical records, scheduling systems and/or reports.
• Schedule appointments in a clinical setting.
• Identify customer's concerns, performs the tasks required to resolve the issue accurately and timely, and follows as necessary to ensure a satisfactory resolution.
• Serve as the first line representative, primary contact and resource person for individuals requesting information, furnishing them with desired information or directing them to the appropriate resource.
• Identify and troubleshoot scheduling and staffing problems in the Mental Health clinic in PAD and perform analysis for performance improvement efforts in wait times, clinic flow and no-shows.
• Acts as a liaison between doctors, nurses and house staff and is responsible for identifying and resolving problem areas between different services.
• Keep track of telephone calls and messages to the front desk phone.
• Assembles all patient charts and ensures all critical information is listed and then maintains the charts daily.
• Responsible for protecting that data from unauthorized release or from loss, alteration, or unauthorized deletion and for applicable regulations and instructions regarding access to computerized files, release of access codes, etc.
• Obtains and reviews medical information of patients prior to scheduled appointments, such as clinic reminders due, customer service and clinical surveys, and ensures the patient completes all the necessary forms prior to being seen by the provider. Assures proper completion and filing of original medical documentation and forms in the records prior to forwarding to medical records room.
• Provides file and document management. Maintains all patients' records, either electronic or paper, according to regulations ensuring each entry contains proper patient and health care proper identification.
• Perform duties as a timekeeper and will provide administrative assistance with Engineering work orders and non-ADPAC related computer work orders. Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am-4:30pm or as determined by supervisor.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.

Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a trial period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements.

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 Policy. English Language Proficiency: Advanced Medical Support Assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Policy. Creditable Experience Knowledge of MSA Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with current MSA responsibilities or an equivalent administrative patient support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment as an MSA or an equivalent position in a non-VA hospital or clinic setting. Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to MSA experience or equivalent administrative clinical support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting] at the next lower grade level.

Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as an MSA or equivalent administrative patient support in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek.

Grade Determinations: For GS-06 In addition to the basic requirements you must demonstrate that you possess one year of specialized experience at the next lower grade level (GS-05).

Preferred Experience: Experience gained while working in a medical office, hospital, inpatient/outpatient clinic, Ancillary Service, Call Center, Care of Community Care, Consult Scheduling, Direct Scheduling, Interdisciplinary Coordinated Care Delivery Models, PACT TEAMLETS, Patient Systems, Radiology/Imaging/Nuclear Medicine, Specialty Clinics, Veterans Appointment Request, VistA Scheduling Graphical User Interface (VS GUI), Ward. Applying administrative judgment, the use of wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across multiple clinical, specialties. Recommends changes to existing clinic procedures based on current guidelines.

You will be rated on the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities based on your application for this position:

• 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.
• 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 as resolving patient concerns.
• Advanced knowledge of the technical healthcare process including, but not limited to, scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community models and patient healthcare 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.

References: VA Handbook 5005, PART II, APPENDIX G45 Medical Support Assistant VA Qualification Standards. Can be found in the local Human Resources Office. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-06.

Physical Requirements: This is primarily a sedentary position.

Education No education substitution at this grade level.

Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

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