Medical Support Assistant (advanced)

Advanced Medical Support Assistant

The incumbent serves as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) for the Office of Community Care within the South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS) and works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary care delivery setting. The incumbent's work impacts the administrative aspect of patient care including access, scheduling/coordinating appointments using approved clinic access principles, patient processing, and customer service.

Responsibilities include:

• Coordinates request for Community Care.
• Screens each fee-for-service request to the Community Care programs.
• Determines patient's eligibility status, technical completeness, accuracy, and urgency of request.
• Serves as primary administrative contact and process expert related to the STVHCS Community Care programs.
• Provides accurate information related to specific Community providers (Location, office contact, etc.), the Community Care process, as well as basic payment and authorization information, etc.
• Schedules appointments, resolves issues, and ensures ongoing patient (and vendor) satisfaction through ongoing customer service activities, problem resolution, and timely response to requests.
• Provides information/education related to the Community Care programs.
• Contacts health care providers in the community to identify additional providers for program referrals.
• Collaborates with the Community care provider, their office staff, and Finance Service to ensure appropriate documentation is received and submitted.
• Collaborates with ordering STVHCS providers, and other clinical staff to expedite and authorize approved Community Care for patients.
• Consults with the requesting provider or Community Care RNs to obtain clarification or additional needed information.
• Collaborates with unit-based Patient Care Coordinators and physicians to facilitate Community Care requests for hospitalized patients.
• Maintains a suspense system.
• Completes daily reviews of active/pending and scheduled consults for accuracy, action, and disposition.
• Authorizes each episode of Community Care through the Heathshare Referral Management (HSRM) software package.
• Determines the appropriate category of care, period of authorization, fund control point, and dollars to be obligated for each request.
• Outlines the authorized services (procedure, exam, test), and approved number of visits.
• Participates in informational presentations to Community Care vendors to outline program requirements, veteran eligibility for service, expected timelines for services and receipt of results, and problem resolution.
• Schedules non-count Community Care appointments using HSRM/Vista scheduling options.
• Oversees release and confidentiality of patient information.
• Receives results and notates receipt on the appropriate consult, scanning results into the patient's record.
• Participates in meetings to identify and resolve issues that impact continuity of care for patients who are receiving Community Care.
• Identifies issues for process improvement and actively participates in service or center-level process improvement activities/teams.
• Orients new service staff to the Community Care programs, serving as a mentor and subject matter expert.
• Utilizes various computer equipment (scanners, double screens), software packages and systems (Vista, Microsoft Office, CPRS, Triwest Portal, HSRM, Refdoc, PPMS) and troubleshoots minor problems.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm, or 8:00 am - 4:30 pm

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.

Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)

Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.

Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.

Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA

Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 54809-F

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. 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

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. Experience. 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, Education. One year above high school; OR, Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.
• 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.
• 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 who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grandfathering Provision: All MSAs employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, which are a part of the basic requirements of the occupation.

For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:

• Such employees may be reassigned, promoted, or [changed to a lower grade] within the occupation.
• Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
• If an employee who was converted to [Title] 38 hybrid status under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

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 administrative patient support in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient 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. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty), and a range of [varieties] as described in this standard, at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. 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-