Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; East Orange (NJ); On-site; USD 36,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

The New Jersey VA Healthcare System is hiring a Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) to coordinate consults and patient care in a crucial support role. The position requires strong collaboration with a variety of healthcare professionals and involves significant administrative responsibilities in the office of community care.

Benefits

37-50 days of annual paid time off

Federal health insurance

Traditional federal pension

Parental leave

Child care subsidy for qualifying employees

Qualifications

• Six months of clerical, office, or customer service experience needed.
• Ability to communicate effectively in various mediums.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures related to patient care.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate inpatient and outpatient consults for community care.
• Collaborate with medical clinicians to ensure patient care.
• Organize and prioritize work to meet deadlines.

Skills

Communication

Collaboration

Organizational Skills

Knowledge of Medical Terminology

Education

High School Diploma

Equivalent Combination of Education and Experience

Job description

The New Jersey VA Healthcare System, East Orange Campus is currently recruiting for one Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) in the Office of Community Care Section located in the Business Office. The VA Community Care Clinic coordinates all Veterans health care needs outside of the VAHCS. The AMSA position serves as an Inpatient and Outpatient Consult Coordinator for Community Care.


Duties

VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

The AMSA participates in daily team meetings where the group reviews an individual's medical care requirements and formulate a health care plan for delivering the utmost optimal level of health care in the appropriate setting. the incumbent s instrumental by finding solutions within his/her scope of responsibility to resolve patients medical needs or expedite delivery of patients medical healthcare.

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.

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.

Incumbent is responsible for utilizing a comprehensive, organized, program to review and identify opportunities for improvement to achieve excellence in the quality and safety of the care, treatment, and services provided to patients.

AMSA performs other duties as assigned

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).

Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.

Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.

Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA

Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 24262-F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Qualifications
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.
  • Experience. 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.

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

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate [all of] the KSAs below:

• 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.

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.

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.