Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Prestonsburg (KY); On-site; USD 52,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Health Administration Service seeks an Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) to support outpatient care. Duties include serving as a first contact for clinics and patient call centers, scheduling appointments, and handling electronic orders in EMR systems.

Applicants may qualify under grandfathering provisions; basic requirements include U.S. citizenship and a high school diploma or GED.

Qualifications

• Experience scheduling, canceling, or rescheduling patient appointments.
• Strong knowledge of medical terminology relevant to outpatient care.
• Ability to communicate with clinicians and patient contacts clearly.
• Familiarity with electronic health/medical record systems is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Serve as initial contact for clinics and patient call centers.
• Schedule, track, and respond to patient orders and consults.
• Review and update demographic and insurance information in records.

Skills

Scheduling

Communication

Medical terminology

Patient services

Education

High school diploma / GED

Job description

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) in the Health Administration Service provides support work relating to the care and treatment given to patients in outpatient clinics (includes clinic cancellations and float AMSAs). Work includes serving as an initial point of contact for the clinics and patient call centers, scheduling appointments, tracking, reviewing, and responding to electronic orders, consults, and other elements in the electronic medical record and medical systems.

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

Certification: None required.

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.

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.

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

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.

Grade Determinations

Advanced Medical Support Assistant GS-6 Grade Level

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

• Experience is defined as experience that includes, but is not limited to: scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient's appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring the electronic wait list; preparing for clinic visits; monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments for areas of responsibility; ensuring encounter forms are completed in order to obtain appropriate workload credit; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information; processing all emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals; performing basic eligibility, co-pays and pre-authorization requirements for specific coverage (i.e., TRICARE, sharing agreements, etc.).

Candidates must also be able to demonstrate all the following Knowledge, skills, and abilities for the GS-0679-6 level to qualify for this position

1. (a) 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.
2. (b) 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.
3. (c) Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.
4. (d) 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.
5. (e) Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
6. (f) 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-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-06

Physical Requirements

Work requires regular and recurring physical exertion maintaining a seated position in scheduling area. Entering data via keyboard and walking frequently performing duties in the film library. Walking frequently into imaging areas to relay messages and assist in patient care. Walking, sitting, and standing are involved in this position. In some instances, contact with patients can become very intense and the employee is frequently placed in a position of stress. There will be some bending and carrying of medical records and light supply items. The incumbent will be performing duties in an outpatient setting. Work is performed in a department responsible for treating patients with a variety of medical problems. Because of a variety of patient contacts, the possibility of verbal or physical abuse exists, as well as, the possibility of exposure to contagious disease.