Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Veterans Health Administration; Hampton (VA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) at the Veterans Health Administration, Hampton VA Medical Center, supports access to care by handling scheduling, referrals, and patient communications.

This GS-5/6 role requires English proficiency, a high school diploma, and knowledge of health care processes; the incumbent reports to Supervisory Medical Support Assistant within the Office of Community Care.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED or equivalent required.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Experience in scheduling, referrals, and patient communication is preferred.

Skills

Advanced health care process knowledge

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Medical terminology proficiency

Communication with diverse clinicians

Prioritization and organization

Professional written and verbal skills

Education

High school diploma

GED or proficiency certificate

Job description

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) is a foundational role within the Office of Community Care at the Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Hampton, Virginia. The incumbent serves as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant and reports to the Supervisory Medical Support Assistant within the Office of Community Care.

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.

Education: High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.

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.

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).

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 re-entry to the occupation.

Documentation Requirements for Proof of High School Completion or higher:

If selected, to meet the basic requirement of high school education or equivalent and prior to a firm job offer being extended, applicants must provide one of the following as verification of the education requirement if not covered under the grandfathering provision:

• Copy of high school diploma
• High school transcript (unofficial or official)
• GED Certificate
• homeschooling completion
• proficiency certificate issued by a State or Territorial Board or Department of Education
• college transcript (official)

Grade Determinations: One (1) full year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level and the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) listed below.

• 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.
• 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.

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-6.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.