Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

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

Job summary

Veterans Health Administration in the United States seeks an Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) to function as a Scheduling Clerk within the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) and related clinics, including Community Based Outpatient Clinics and BHIP. The role supports access and care delivery across multiple clinics and interfaces with various care teams.

Applicants may be tentatively selected while meeting educational or licensure requirements, with final hiring contingent on full

Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship required.
• English proficiency required for direct patient care roles.
• Education: high school diploma, GED, or approved proficiency certificate.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate clinic appointment availability and monitor schedules across clinics and community resources.
• Maintain effective communication with the patient care team and interdisciplinary teams to support care delivery.
• Participate in team huddles and meetings to plan, problem-solve, and follow up with patient care.
• Enter and verify information in the electronic medical record and patient systems.
• Monitor pre-appointment information and requirements to ensure patient readiness for visits.
• Identify incomplete encounters and communicate findings to providers; assist in planning care.

Skills

Collaboration

Prioritization

Communication

Education

High school diploma / GED

Job description

The Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), referenced as AMSA, position serves as a Scheduling Clerk and is a foundational role within the VHA Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) initiative to include all interdisciplinary clinics that support the initiative as well as the Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) and Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP).

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:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency: Applicants appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English.
• Education. High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
• 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).
• 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: GS-6 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level.

Assignment. The Advanced MSA provides 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. Recommends 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; inform 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:

• i. 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.
• ii. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
• iii. Ability to communicate tactfully and e