Advanced Medical Support Assistant

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Salt Lake City VA Health Care System is seeking an Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) to provide administrative support, patient scheduling, and care coordination across clinics. The role emphasizes customer service and efficient coordination of care within the medical center and outpatient settings.

Qualifications include a high school diploma or GED, U.S. citizenship, and the ability to work within VA processes such as CPRS/CPRS-VistA/Cerner.

Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship is required; non-citizens may be appointed only when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Education: high school diploma, GED, or equivalent.
• Experience: none specified.
• Licensure/Certification: none.
• Grandfathering provisions apply for current VA employees under the qualification standard.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and manage administrative duties for Choice Program and PACT/BHIP/Specialty Care/Community Care Coordination.
• Receive and process consults in the EHR and obtain necessary documentation to support processing.
• Ensure Veterans receive appropriate appointments and close out consults when complete.
• Provide patients with clear instructions on test preparation, diets, and procedure requirements.

Skills

Medical terminology

Scheduling appointments

Customer service

Communication

Documentation

HIPAA compliance

Education

High school diploma / GED

Tools

Electronic Health Records (EHR)

Job description

The Salt Lake City VA Health Care System is recruiting for Advanced Medical Support Assistants (AMSA) position in Health Administration Service and Community Care Service at Salt Lake City, Utah. The AMSA is primarily responsible for customer service, scheduling, and administrative support for the assigned clinics/providers and other duties as assigned they relate to care coordination for treatment of patients in the medical center or outpatient clinic. 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. 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. 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 the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry. 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).

Grade Determinations

In addition to the basic requirements for employment listed above, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: Advanced Medical Support Assistant, GS-0679-06:

In order to be found qualified for this position, you must possess the following: Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05). Examples of experience at the next lower grade must include Knowledge of medical terminology, scheduling appointments (including interpreting and verifying provider orders), canceling, re-scheduling patient's appointments and/or consults; use of Microsoft Office, entering no-show information; monitoring the electronic wait list; preparing for clinic visits; monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments for areas of responsibility; ensuring encounter forms are completed in order to obtain appropriate workload credit; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information; processing all emergency and non-emergency transfers to other facilities or hospitals; performing basic eligibility, co-pays and pre-authorization requirements for specific coverage, and other related support work in a health care setting.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

1. Ability to collaborate, communicate, set priorities, and organize the work in order to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations
2. Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, both orally and in writing, in order to meet program objectives. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational level.
3. Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process as it relates to access to care.
4. Advanced knowledge of managing a clinic. This includes independently utilizing reference sources, decision making, and empowering the team to collaborate and resolve problems within a complex systems environment.
5. Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with operational activities that affect the patient flow, patient care, and the revenue process.
6. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.

GS-06 Advanced Medical Support Assistant Assignment

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant works collaboratively with staff at the Medical Center, Contract Vendors, Medical Center affiliates, Community Healthcare Providers, and any Third Party Administrator(s) to coordinate Veteran PACT/SHIP/Specialty Care/Community Care and Choice activities. This coordination involves multi-disciplinary communication and coordination as a member of a cross-functional team. The Incumbent will coordinate and is responsible for all administrative duties associated with the Choice Program and PACT/BHIP/Specialty Care/Community Care Coordination, receives consults via the electronic medical record, coordinates and receives the necessary documentations to facilitate the processing of the consult, ensures that the Veteran receives the appropriate PACT/BHIP/Specialty Care/Community Care appointment and closes out the consult when completed. Provides patients correct instructions on test preparation, diets, and procedural requirements for varying procedures and specialty services specific to each community provider's standard of care which affects the efficiency, accuracy, and acceptability of patient care procedures, processes, and services in the community.

Preferred Experience

• Demonstrated experience in a fast-paced ambulatory care setting, preferably within a PACT team.
• Strong skills in patient registration, scheduling, and coordinating care across multiple providers/services.
• Proficiency with VA electronic health record systems (CPRS, VistA, or Cerner) and consult management.
• Excellent customer service and communication skills with a focus on patient advocacy and satisfaction.
• Knowledge of medical terminology and the ability to interpret and process provider orders.
• Experience in handling sensitive patient information in compliance with HIPAA/VA policies.
• Ability to multitask and manage time effectively.
• Proven ability to adapt to new initiatives and rapidly changing healthcare environments.
• Ability to work independently and as part of an interdisciplinary team to ensure optimal patient flow and access.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-0679-06

Reference

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

Physical Requirements

No special physical exertion is required. The work is primarily performed while sitting though some work may require periods of standing. The regular and recurring work of the position involves sitting at a desk, conferences, meetings, etc., and occasional visits to activity work sites. Occasional use of automobile and public conveyances may be required.