Advanced MSA

Veterans Health Administration; Harlingen (TX); On-site; USD 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

The Veterans Health Administration in Harlingen, TX, seeks a Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) to support a multidisciplinary team in the Call Center and clinics. You will help coordinate care, manage scheduling, and communicate with patients and providers to ensure timely access to Veterans health services.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens with a high school diploma or GED, good English proficiency, and the ability to work in a dynamic health care environment. GS-6 level experience may apply.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Ability to communicate with diverse clinicians and patients.
• Knowledge of scheduling processes and patient portals is preferred.
• General understanding of medical terminology and health care terminology.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with clinicians across disciplines to coordinate patient care.
• Schedule appointments and manage patient communications in multiple systems.
• Prioritize tasks and organize workflow to meet deadlines and policy.
• Document relevant information into electronic medical records accurately.

Skills

Collaboration across clinicians

Prioritization & organization

Effective communication

Healthcare process knowledge

Policy & procedure knowledge

Medical terminology

Education

High School Diploma / GED

Job description

The Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) (AMSA) position operates within the Call Center as part of an interprofessional healthcare team. The AMSA provides support across multiple ancillaries and interprofessional clinics and determines the needs of the Veteran/caregiver. These positions are within the Health Administration Service at the VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Healthcare System, Harlingen, Tx.

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
• 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). 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

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

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

• 1 year experience working in a clinical environment coordinating clinic schedules for providers.
• 1 year experience scheduling patients in a medical appointment software in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model.
• 1 year experience managing patient communications in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model (e.g. telephone and/or e-mail).
• 1 year experience with documenting appropriate information into an electronic medical record.
• 1 year of administrative/office customer service skills in de-escalation, problem solving, decision making, and tactful communication skills orally and in writing.

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

The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.