Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Salt Lake City VA Health Care System is recruiting Advanced Medical Support Assistants (AMSA) at the GS-6 level to support clinical operations and administrative tasks in direct patient care areas. The role includes unit receptionist duties and transcribing physician and nurse practitioner orders. Applicants must be a U.S.

citizen with proficient English and a high school diploma or GED. No formal experience is required, but knowledge of medical terminology and scheduling is expected.

Qualifications

• United States citizenship required.
• Education: High school diploma or GED.
• English language proficiency in speaking and writing.

Responsibilities

• Assist staff in direct patient care areas and facilitate administrative operations.
• Serve as unit receptionist and transcribe provider orders.
• Communicate with professional staff and services to the patient.
• Assist with scheduling and clinic workflow to ensure efficiency.

Skills

Medical terminology

Scheduling appointments

Microsoft Office

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

The Salt Lake City VA Health Care System is recruiting for Advanced Medical Support Assistants (AMSA) position. The Primary purpose for this position is to assist the staff in direct patient care areas that facilitate the efficient administrative operations of the unit. Acts as unit receptionists and accurately interprets and transcribes physician's orders and/or nurse practitioner's orders. Communicates with professional staff and services to the patient.

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: 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
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.
• 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 the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry.
3. 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

Advanced Medical Support Assistant - GS-6:

Experience: One (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in Federal service (GS-05). Examples of experience at the next lower grade; Knowledge of medical terminology, scheduling appointments (including interpreting and verifying provider orders), canceling, re-scheduling patient’s appointments and/or consults; use of Microsoft Office, 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 facilities or hospitals; performing basic eligibility, co-pays and pre-authorization requirements for specific coverage, and other related support work in a health care setting.

AND

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA):

1. Ability to collaborate, communicate, set priorities, and organize the work in order to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations
2. Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, both orally and in writing, in order to meet program objectives. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational level.
3. Ability to run errands in support of team functions by clinical staff. Ability to call Rapid Response as needed and directs resources in the event of an emergency as well as receives and directs patients and visitors.
4. Ability for the following: Sitting, Standing, effective verbal communications, walking, bending, lifting, carrying more than 35 lb. objects such as files, books, and paper, box of paper reams, quickly responding to mental health codes to replace nursing staff tasks.
5. Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process as it relates to access to care.
6. Advanced knowledge of managing a clinic. This includes independently utilizing reference sources, decision making, and empowering the team to collaborate and resolve problems within a complex systems environment.
7. Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with operational activities that affect the patient flow, patient care, and the revenue process.
8. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.

Preferred Experience

• Knowledge of Microsoft programs including, but not limited to PowerPoint, Word, Teams, and Excel
• Experience scheduling patients in Clinical Video Telehealth; VA Video Connect and phone clinics
• Experience scheduling across multiple platforms (GUI, VistA, Telehealth Management Platform)

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.