Advanced Medical Support Assistant

Created at: March 15, 2025 00:19

Company: Veterans Health Administration

Location: Fort Knox, KY, 40121

Job Description:

The incumbent serves as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) in a VISN Clinical Contact Center (CCC) as part of an interprofessional healthcare team. AMSA provides support across multiple ancillary and interprofessional clinics and determines the needs of the Veteran/caregiver. The AMSA is responsible for routing clinical questions to appropriate clinical staff. The AMSA plays an integral role in achieving first-contact resolution through Veteran-centered delivery of care.
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: Citizens of the United States. Experience and Education Experience. Six months experience of clerical, office or other work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position; or Education. One year above high school; or Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. Certification. None required. 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: In addition to the basic requirements above, applicants must meet the following experience: Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-5 Medical Support Assistant grade level. Duties at this level include, but are not limited to: performing a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting; answering phones; greeting patients; relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit; scheduling appointments; including interpreting and verifying provider orders to schedule within scheduling guidelines. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate the KSAs below: 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. 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. Preferred Experience: Previous experience in Clinical Call Center setting preferred. Previous experience with customer service. Note: You must provide detailed information of your experience performed. Information such as "I was a Medical Support Assistant" is insufficient to determine your qualifications. Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hour worked per week. Note: Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to MSA experience or equivalent administrative clinical support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting at the next lower grade level. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity/difficulty and a range of varieties. 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-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-6. Physical Requirements: Typically, the Advanced Medical Support Assistant must be able to operate a computer terminal and be able to manage multiple activities at one time. Work is generally sedentary; however, there may be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items. Work Environment: The work may be stressful due to the accelerated pace for several hours at a time during peak clinic hours or on days that have a large volume of clinic activity.
Duties include but not limited to: The Advanced MSA provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interprofessional 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. Works collaboratively with VISN 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 VISN CCC, scheduling appointments, interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. 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 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. Provides information and resolution to Veterans' requests within scope, uses administrative judgement to escalate symptomatic concerns to clinicians within the VISN CCC or directs the contact to the appropriate discipline within the CCC 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 comp VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Medical Support Assistant: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-MSA-VA-Career-Flyer.pdf Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive: Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: No Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 40925-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized


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