Medical Support Assistant (advanced) - Specialty Care

Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

The incumbent serves as an Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) and provides clerical administrative support in the coordination, care, and treatment provided to patients throughout the specialty Care Integrated Clinical Community (ICC). Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• The Advanced MSA provides specialized and expert administrative patient care 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, specialties, and/or care in the community resources.
• The AMSA recommends changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines and has expertise in utilizing numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics involved in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model.
• The AMSA coordinates with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability and utilization to ensure that clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics and makes recommendations for change as necessary.
• AMSAs develop and maintain effective communication with the patient, interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies.
• Other assignments include, but are not limited to: Scheduling, canceling, and rescheduling patient appointments and/or consults. Entering no-show information. Monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources. Processing incoming patient secure messaging and coordinating with care team as appropriate. Participates 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 team. Sets priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs. Identifies incomplete encounters and communicates findings to providers as needed. Assists the team in reinforcing the plan of care and self-help solutions. Enters appropriate information into the electronic record. Monitors pre-appointment information and/or requirements to ensure readiness for patient visit/procedure. Manages patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues. Evaluates patient information and clinic schedules to determine whether the patient requires an immediate appointment. Informs team members about co-managed members (i.e., those who receive care at multiple VA centers or who receive care in the community). Requests pertinent information (within the MSA scope of duty) from patient records (inside/outside facilities) and submits to team for review in preparation for provider visit. May retrieve medication profiles, test results, and patient information from electronic medical record, as requested by the clinician.

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

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).

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)

Requirements:

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:

• Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.).
• Experience. No experience 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
• 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).
• Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs.

Grade Determinations:

Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-6 Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level that equips the candidate with the following:

• Ability to operate computerized programs and systems in order to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient identifying information (PII) into or from electronic health records, scheduling systems, and/or reports.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.
• Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting.
• Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work.
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone, with internal and external customers.
• Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution.

AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• 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 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 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.