Medical Support Assistant (advanced)

Advanced Medical Support Assistant

Summary: The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) impacts the administrative aspect of patient care including scheduling/coordinating appointments, using advanced clinic access principles, collecting and updating demographic and insurance information, patient processing, and customer service.

Responsibilities

The work of an Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) includes functions such as serving as an initial point of contact for the units, clinics, patient, call centers, to include, but not limited to, scheduling patient appointments, tracking, reviewing, and responding to electronic orders, consults, and other elements in the electronic medical record and medical systems. This series includes work that requires a practical knowledge of computerized data entry, information processing systems and software related to patient care, the healthcare system's organization and services, basic rules and regulations governing visitors and patient treatment, knowledge of standard procedures, utilizing medical records, and medical terminology.

Duties may include but are not limited to:

• Perform at a competent level and work collaboratively in the Non-VA Care Coordination coordinated care delivery model, specifically in support of the MISSION Act and Community Care Network programs.
• Assures that all visitors and telephone calls are answered and referred in a prompt and courteous manner.
• Perform scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling of patient appointments and or consults.
• Develops and maintains effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary team, VA Medical Centers, and other agencies.
• Maintains and monitors patient appointment schedules for the clinic and communicates delays to the appropriate staff and patients.
• Responsible for maintaining/scheduling appointments, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines, and transmittal of schedules.
• Work within the team to set team priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs.
• Resolves complaints of a local administrative nature and refers other complaints to appropriate authorities.
• Provides information regarding clinic and hospital policies, procedures, and locations to patients, family members, and staff.
• Maintains patient's confidential records, copies, and file documentation.
• Scans and enters information into VISTA, CPRS.
• Protects printed and electronic files containing sensitive data in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 and other applicable laws, federal regulations, VA statutes and policy, and VHA policy.
• Analyzes situations to determine what decisions can be made or if advise of higher authority is needed.
• The primary age of veterans receiving services is typically between 18 and 80 years of age. This position requires the incumbent to possess or develop an understanding of the particular needs of these types of patients. Sensitivity to the special needs of all patients in respect to age, developmental requirements, and culturally related factors must be consistently achieved.

Work Schedule: Varied Shifts to be discussed during interview process, however most shifts are Monday-Friday 8-4:30 pm

Functional Statement #: 000000

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

RESUME REQUIREMENTS - Your resume MUST include the following information:

• Job Title (for each position)
• Description of duties (be as detailed as possible)
• Month and year start/end dates (e.g. June 2018 to April 2020) of employment
• Full-time or part-time status (include average hours worked per week)

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.

Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.

In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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.

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, 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.

Certification: None required.

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: Advanced Medical Support Assistant GS-6 Grade Level: Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the [GS-5] grade level.

Candidates must also be able to demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAS) for the GS-0679-6 level to qualify 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 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.

References: VA Handbook 5005/117, Part II, Appendix G45 Dated: August 1, 2019. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6.

Physical Requirements: VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Work is partially sedentary, with frequent walking, standing, bending. carrying of light items such as papers and books, or small parts. Some slight physical effort may be required. Incumbent may be susceptible to eyestrain from working long hours on the computer.

Work Environment: Work is performed primarily in a patient care setting; adequately lighted, temperature controlled, and ventilated. Office temperatures fluctuate periodically; involves everyday risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of such places as clinics, offices, meeting and training rooms or libraries; exposure to noise and dust on occasion. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients.

The incumbent must be a