Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Fargo (ND); On-site; USD 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare institution is seeking an Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) to provide specialized administrative support in patient care across various specialties. The role involves coordinating appointments, managing patient information, and ensuring effective communication within the care team. Ideal candidates will have strong organizational and communication skills, alongside a background in clerical or customer service roles. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to patient care in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• Six months of clerical or administrative experience required.
• Proficient in spoken and written English.

Responsibilities

• Provides clerical administrative support to patients.
• Coordinates with patient care teams for appointment management.
• Recommends changes to clinic procedures.

Skills

Communication

Customer Service

Organizational Skills

Education

High School Diploma

Job description

The incumbent serves as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) and provides clerical administrative support in the coordination, care, and treatment provided to patients throughout the Specialty Care Integrated Clinical Community (ICC), to include Pulmonary, Cardiology, Hospice, Palliative, Kidney, Oncology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology, Neurology, Infectious Disease, Diabetic Ed, and other specialty care areas.
Duties

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

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

The Advanced MSA provides specialized and expert administrative patient care 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. The AMSA recommends changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines and has expertise in utilizing numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics involved in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. The AMSA coordinates with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability and utilization to ensure that clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics and makes recommendations for change as necessary. AMSAs develop and maintain effective communication with the patient, interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies (e.g., assist with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge, communicate with non-VA medical facilities, manage a system for follow-up care such as consults, tests and procedures, etc.).

Requirements

Qualifications
BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
a. Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.g.).
b. Experience and Education.
(1) 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
(2) Education. One year above high school;
OR
(3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.
c. Certification. None required.
d. Grandfathering Provision. All MSAs employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, which are a part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:(1) Such employees may be reassigned, promoted, or changed to a lower grade within the occupation.(2) 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.(3) If an employee who was converted to Title 38 hybrid status under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.
e. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs.
f. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
g. English Language Proficiency. MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.j.

GS-06 Advanced Medical Support Assistant: This GS-6 Advanced Medical Support Assistant position is above the full performance level for this job series and requires experience beyond the basic requirement for positions in this occupation.

EXPERIENCE:
One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level that equips the candidate with the following:
1. Operate computerized programs and systems in order to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient identifying information (PII) into or from electronic health records, scheduling systems, and/or reports.
2. Schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting.
3. Work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work.
4. Communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone, with internal and external customers.
5. Customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution.

AND

Candidates must be able to demonstrate all of the knowledge, skills and abilities below:
1. Abilityto 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.
2. Ability to independently set priorities and organizes work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies and regulations.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.

References: See VA Handbook 5005/53, Part II, Appendix G, page II-G45-4 & II-G45-5

You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.