Advanced Medical Support Assistant

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Menlo Park (CA); On-site; USD 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Dental Clinic provides administrative and clerical support, managing front desk operations and coordinating patient care services. Responsibilities include scheduling appointments, maintaining no-show records, and delivering professional customer service by phone and in person.

Candidates must meet basic federal requirements, including U.S. citizenship and English proficiency.

Qualifications

• Citizenship: U.S. citizen, or eligible under 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• Education: High school diploma or GED or proficiency certificate.
• Licensure/Certification/Registration: None.
• English proficiency: Proficient in spoken and written English.

Responsibilities

• Schedule and manage dental clinic appointments.
• Maintain no-show records and patient flow.
• Provide timely customer service by phone and in person.
• Assist with front desk operations and coordination of care.

Skills

Healthcare scheduling

Interdisciplinary coordination

Medical terminology

Customer communication

Prioritization & organization

Reports & data presentation

Education

High school diploma / GED

Job description

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) provides administrative and clerical support for the Dental Clinic, managing front desk operations and coordinating patient care services. Responsibilities include scheduling and managing appointments, maintaining no-show records, and providing timely, professional customer service by phone and in person. 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.

• Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• 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.
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

Grandfathering Provision.

Employees in VHA in this occupation, under a permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and/or assignment held, including positive education and registration/certification where applicable. For employees who do not meet all the basic or assignment-specific requirements in this standard but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply:

(1) 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.

(2) Employees retained in this occupation under this provision who subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.

GRADE DETERMINATIONS.

In addition to the basic requirements for employment, candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for placement at grade levels specified.

Advanced Medical Support Assistant, GS-06:

Experience.

• One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs).

• (a) 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.
• (b) 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.
• (c) Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.
• (d) 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.
• (e) Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
• (f) 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.

Reference:

For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06.

Physical Requirements:

See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.