This Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) position is in the Medical Administration Service of the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System located in Biloxi, Mississippi. Position is physically located at the Joint Ambulatory Care Center in Pensacola, Florida.
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 and Education. (1) Experience. Six months experience of clerical, office, customer service, or other administrative work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position; OR, (2) Education. One year above high school; OR, (3) 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. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. English Language Proficiency. Medical Support Assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Policy. Grade Determinations. To qualify for the GS-06 level, your resume must demonstrate you possess the required experience necessary to possess the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) required for the grade. Be specific when describing the job duties that demonstrate you possess the KSAs listed. Resume must include hours per week for work experience credit. Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-06 (a) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level. To qualify for this position, you must demonstrate in your resume that you have experience that includes: Entering, modifying, retrieving sensitive information into or from electronic health records, scheduling systems, and/or reports; Scheduling medical appointments in a clinical setting; Performing patient support work; Providing customer service and identifying patient concerns to ensure satisfactory resolution; Advanced level of medical terminology. (b) 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.). (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition, you must demonstrate ALL of the following KSAs in your resume: 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: Knowledge of multiple electronic systems and current computer technology regarding scheduling applications i.e. operating computer systems and applications, such as VISTA, ESR, BTSSS, CPRS, and Microsoft applications. Eligibility experience with regards to VA medical care, priorities for care, release of information, Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPM) Laws, and the Community Care Coordination (CC) programs. **Resume must include hours per week for work experience credit.** References: 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. Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, puling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment. Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Advanced Medical Support Assistant position serves as a Health Benefits/Enrollment clerk within the Gulf Coast Veterans Healthcare System. The primary duties of the Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) may include but are not limited to: Scheduling/coordinating appointments Collecting, and updating demographic and insurance information Processing eligibility and death benefits Managing the NEAR list (New Enrollee Application Request) Acting as a receptionist at the hospital level, either face-to-face or telephonic Coordinating administrative services for Veterans, family members, caregivers, and public, administrative, and clinical staff Interpreting and applying a complex body of pertinent laws, regulations, directives, and policies that relate to the administration of VA healthcare benefits Conducting special audits, studies, or surveys to be utilized in the development of procedures Generating patient workload reports for validation Monitoring activity in clinical areas to assure consistent and accurate reporting Organizing and implementing quality assurance monitors Guiding patients through hospital system, inputs referrals, documents complaints, and provides follow-up and suggests resolutions to supervisor Screening/receiving phone calls in a courteous and timely manner Participating in the daily team let huddles and weekly/monthly team meetings Determining eligibility/entitlement for benefits of all applicants using various methods Assisting with clinic access contingency plans by adjusting appointment times, location, or dates as well as shift patients to other healthcare Collecting, Compiling, and/or tracking of data and statistical information in support of the organization's enrollment/eligibility program and admissions/acute care process utilizing Veterans Administration (VA), Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) and Department of Defense (DOD) guidelines Counseling patients, their families, and agency employees on entitlements to benefits Coordinating primary care team assignments for eligible veterans Monitoring the patient database for information to determine applicable co-payments for medical care and medications Providing information guidance to agency employees as requested and coordinates patient processing activities. Utilizes the VHIC system for eligible Veterans who need a VA Health Identification Card Processing enrollment applications Interviewing patients applying for medical benefits Coordinating patient requests for transfers to the Community Based Outpatient Clinics Assisting in the triage of Catastrophic Disability ratings requests from patients, Social Worker's, and Clinicians Triaging hardship determination requests for Enrollment of Rejected Veterans/ Patients required to pay co-pays for care at the time of initial registrations Registering Active-Duty Service Members and works in close liaison with the Transition Care Management Team of Combat Veterans, Military Treatment Facility Referrals Processing Patient Data Transfers from surrounding VA Facilities into the Gulf Coast VA Delivery System for patients to receive medical services and specialty care Communicating with the Health Eligibility Center (HEC) in Atlanta, Georgia for the purpose of resolving conflicts relative to eligibility for healthcare Work Schedule: Typically Monday thru Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm. Determined by the supervisor. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). 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: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 520-00273-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized