Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) - Contact Call Center

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; San Antonio (TX); On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ South Texas Veterans Health Care System seeks an Advanced Medical Support Assistant to support a Veterans-centered contact center.

The role delivers administrative patient support within an interprofessional care delivery model, coordinating across clinics and community resources to ensure access to care and timely service. The position involves scheduling, patient data handling, message routing, and utilizing multiple care portals to support Veterans and

Qualifications

• Advanced knowledge of health care processes as they relate to access to care.
• Knowledge of interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and related administrative functions.
• Ability to communicate with clinicians and patients across multiple platforms.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialized administrative patient support within an interprofessional care model.
• Schedule appointments and manage patient flow across clinics and community resources.
• Handle telephone, secure messaging, chat, and video communications with Veterans and caregivers.

Skills

Healthcare access

Interdisciplinary care

Patient communication

Scheduling systems

EHR systems

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

EHR systems

Scheduling software

Telephony systems

Job description

Summary

Advanced Medical Support Assistant in a South Texas Veterans Healthcare System Contact Center as part of an interprofessional healthcare team. They provide support across multiple ancillary & interprofessional & determines the needs of the Veteran/caregiver. They play an integral role in achieving first-contact resolution through Veteran-centered delivery of care. They provide information on programs & initiatives available to Veterans & provides administrative referrals of services as needed.

Qualifications

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
• 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
• 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: Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) - GS-06 Experience
• One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade
• Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs)
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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-06
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is at the GS-06
• Physical Requirements: May be required - depending on the needs of the organization.

Duties

• VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo Major Duties: The Advanced MSA provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interprofessional coordinated care delivery model
• Work involves specialized administrative judgement 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
• Works collaboratively with STVHCS programs - services - and interprofessional coordinated care team members to provide access to care and meet the needs of Veterans via various available contact modalities to include but not limited to telephone calls - secure messaging - chat - text messaging and video
• The AMSA is responsible for answering telephones - secure messages - and chat messages - greeting patients - relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the STVHCS CC - scheduling appointments - interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines
• Recommends changes to existing procedures based on current administrative guidelines
• Expertise in utilizing numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics involved in an interprofessional coordinated care delivery model
• AMSAs at this level develop and/or maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient - interprofessional care delivery teams - VA medical centers - and other agencies
• communicate with non-VA medical facilities
• Other assignments at this level include - but are not limited to: scheduling - canceling - re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults
• entering no-show information
• monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources
• gathering and obtaining medical information from patients
• processing medication refill requests
• reviewing electronic health record - obtaining medical records - faxing - participating in huddles with other MSAs and/or peers to determine the daily needs of the STVHCS CC - monitoring outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility
• and verifying and updating demographics when contacted by patients
• 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 interprofessional team members about shared patients (i.e.). - those who receive their care at multiple VA sites or those who receive care in the community
• For all assignments above the full performance level - the higher- level duties must consist of significant scope - administrative independence - complexity (difficulty) - 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
• Provides information and resolution to Veterans' requests within scope - uses administrative judgement to elevate symptomatic concerns to clinicians within the STVHCS CC or directs the contact to the appropriate discipline within the STVHCS or department for resolution
• Screens incoming contacts and independently routes the contacts to the appropriate area for resolution
• Uses advanced knowledge of health care process as it relates to access of care to ensure Veteran appointment scheduling is efficient - operational and prioritized to maintain Veteran flow and clinic readiness
• Utilizes various software - hardware system products - and data portals to transfer and capture information electronically for the support of the daily operation of the unit
• Operates within the various contact modalities to receive and respond to incoming and outgoing contacts using computerized interfaces and telecommunications hardware and software
• Provides accurate details of organizational information to Veterans regarding the different services the VA offers
• Provides high-quality customer service to Veterans and their families/caregivers
• Communicates tactfully and effectively to challenging customers who may be threatening - abusive - or distraught
• Resolves Veteran complaints as appropriate
• Performs duties as assigned to ensure efficient and effective operations
• Other related duties may be assigned
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM or 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Telework: Ad-Hoc only Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 54505-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized