Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

The US Department of Veterans Affairs’ Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, TX, seeks a Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) to provide administrative patient support within an interdisciplinary care delivery model across multiple clinics.

This GS-06 role requires strong communication, coordination, and knowledge of health care processes, with preference for experience in team-based care and MyHealthyVet messaging.

Qualifications

• Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process as it relates to access and care delivery across clinics.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures for interdisciplinary care delivery and community care activities.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology.
• Ability to collaborate with a wide range of clinicians to achieve patient care goals.
• Ability to independently set priorities and manage deadlines.
• Excellent written and spoken communication with internal and external customers.

Responsibilities

• Support clinic access and scheduling across interdisciplinary teams and community resources.
• Coordinate with patient care teams to review appointment availability and adjust clinic schedules.
• Enter and verify patient information in the electronic record and ensure readiness for visits.
• Communicate with patients and care teams to follow up on tests, consults, and referrals.
• Participate in team huddles to plan, problem-solve, and prioritize patient care tasks.

Skills

Advanced health care process

Interdisciplinary coordination

Medical terminology

Team collaboration

Prioritization and time management

Clear communication

Education

High school diploma / GED

Job description

This Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), also referred to as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) is in the Health Administration Service of the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center located in Houston, TX including outlying community based out-patient clinics. 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

• 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).
• 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
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

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 5 the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

NOTE

This provision is not intended to regularize appointments/ placements.

Grade Determinations

In addition to the basic requirements for employment listed above, the following education and experience criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-06

Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.

Assignment:

For all assignments above the FPL, the higher-level duties must be of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity, and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. At the advanced level, the Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) (AMSA) performs difficult and responsible specialized and expert administrative patient support 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. Recommend changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines. Expertise in utilizing numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics involved in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. Coordinates with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability (utilization) to ensure that clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics, and makes adjustments as necessary. MSAs at this level develop and/or maintain effective and efficient 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; prepare correspondence to notify patients of normal lab results; manage a system for follow-up care such as consults, tests, etc.).

Other assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: processes incoming patient secure messaging through MyHealthyVet and coordinates with care team as appropriate; participates in team huddles and team meetings to manage, plan, problem solve, and follow-up with patient care by sharing information and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team; setting priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs; identifies incomplete encounters and communicates findings to providers; as needed; assists the team to reinforce the plan of care and self‑help solutions; enters appropriate information into the electronic record; monitors pre-appointment information and/or requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure; manages patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues; evaluates patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether the patient requires an immediate appointment; informs team members about shared patients (i.e., those who receive their care at multiple VA centers or those who receive care in the community).

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs 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.

Preferred Experience:

• 1-2 years of experience working in a multidisciplinary team;
• Strong communication skills
• Advanced computer skills

Reference:

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is 6.

Physical Requirements:

The work requires mobility (e.g., walking, bending, lifting, or climbing) carrying of light items as well as driving a government vehicle when needed. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.

Work Environment:

Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.