Advanced Medical Support Assistant

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Poplar Bluff (MO); On-site; USD 52,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

The John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff seeks an Advanced Medical Support Assistant (MSA) to ensure efficient patient access and re-access across the medical center and VA outpatient clinics.

The role may refer and tentatively select applicants pending educational or licensure requirements, with hiring contingent on meeting all requirements. GS‑6 level responsibilities include coordinating with the patient care team, reviewing clinic schedules, and applying advanced MS patient

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Proficiency in English (spoken and written).
• Experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide advanced administrative patient support across multiple clinics.
• Coordinate with patient care team to monitor appointment availability and scheduling.
• Assist in managing patient access and flow within the medical center and clinics.

Skills

Interdisciplinary coordination

Microsoft Office

Customer service

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant(s) at the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff was established to ensure high level efficiency for patient access/re-access to the Medical Center and VA Outpatient Clinics, Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) program. 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: 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).
• Experience. None.
• 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
• Grandfathering Provision: 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)
• Foreign Education: To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials.
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for 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).

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. 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‑time workweek. For example, an MSA employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2‑time basis, would receive one full‑time workweek of credit for each [two] weeks of service.

Grade Determinations

Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS‑6

Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS‑5 grade level.

Assignment. The Advanced MSA provides specialized and expert administrative patient support 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. Recommends changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines. Expertise in utilizing numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics involved in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. Coordinates with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability (utilization) to ensure that clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics, and makes adjustments as necessary.

GS‑6 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.

Preferred Experience

One year of Microsoft suite, Word, Excel, Office and PowerPoint, and customer service. Timekeeping (VATAS) within the VA a plus.

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

Sedentary work with occasional lifting (=20 lbs.). May require periods of walking, standing, bending, or climbing, and employees may carry light items such as books, instruments, laptops, and other similar materials.