Job description

Advanced Medical Support Assistant

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Veterans Health Administration

Summary

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (Advanced MSA) is responsible for a range of clerical and administrative duties that demonstrate the advanced level of the MSA. Advanced MSAs perform a variety of support duties that facilitate the work of physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nursing assistants, and other members of the medical facility who provide patient care.

THIS JOB IS OPEN TO

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

This vacancy is open to The Public. Please notate salaries below for different locations. The salary listed above is for the Oakland, San Bruno, and Santa Rosa locations only. Clearlake, Ukiah, and Eureka's range: $46,655 - $60,652

Duties

At this level the Advanced MSA must have the ability to work rapidly and independently with a high degree of accuracy. The Advanced MSA must be dependable, use good judgement and effectively/accurately analyze and evaluate all situations to ensure the veteran receives the highest quality of care. Good written and oral communication skills are essential. The Advanced MSA works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model, a PACT at the San Francisco VA Health Care System (SFVAHCS) to ensure delivery of coordinated, high quality, efficient and patient-centered care. The Advanced MSA is the primary source of contact to the patient by phone and/or in person, acts as the liaison to the clinical staff and provides administrative assistance for the assigned Clinic. As a front-line contact to the patient, the Advanced MSA sets the tone for perception concerning the quality of healthcare services provided by VA. They develop/maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary team, VA medical centers, and other agencies.

Advanced MSAs are considered chief sources of information and play an important role in accomplishing the work of the unit by performing duties below. These duties include, but are NOT limited to:

Scheduling, cancelling, re-scheduling patient's appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information and appointment cancellation information, sending appointment notifications, instructions, and reminder/cancellation letters to patients, checking in patients arriving for their appointments. Verifying and updating demographic and performing basic eligibility, co-pays and preauthorization requirements for specific coverage and insurance capture, logging into automatic computer-based phone system to answer and direct multi-line phone systems in a courteous manner, taking complete accurate telephone messages and/or documentation of contact into CPRS via view alerts, checking and responding to voicemail, responsible for incoming and outgoing faxing and distribution, monitor and/or manage multiple reports, lists and suspense's to include but not limited to: electronic wait list, unseen report, recall reminders, open encounters/EARRS, NEARS, Veteran Choice List, missed opportunity report, consult management/ tracking, PCMM, VERA and RTC, may be required to perform the following: Timekeeping, Encounter completion, Coordination of Hoptel requests, Patient Travel, ADPAC (Automated Data Processing Applications Coordinator), order supplies, enters appropriate, complete, accurate information into electronic record (CPRS/VISTA) and other clinical information systems as appropriate to the area assigned, responsible for Lobby Management to include but not limited to: Keeping lobby presentable, restocking flyers and or brochures, be mindful of Veterans that have been waiting longer than 15 minutes, performs typing work from written material using word processing software and equipment (such as but not limited to Microsoft office applications). Responds to incoming correspondence. Performs general filing, completes initial paperwork for walk-in "triage" patient's, notifies the appropriate nursing staff members and brings urgent matters to immediate attention of nursing or physician staff and collaborates effectively with the other staff to ensure seamless care.

Other duties include, responsible for acknowledging and/or completing view alerts with-in 48 business hours, as required, types routine correspondence, progress reports, memorandums and statistical reports using Vista, MS Word and Excel, maintains up to date status on mandatory TMS training to include but not limited to: VA Scheduling Requirements, understanding of beneficiary enrollment and means testing, the Advanced MSA may provide on-the-job training to new employees in accordance with established procedures and practices and may provide feedback to the new employee, preparing for clinic visits to include PACT scrubbing, discharge coordination, reconciles end-of-shift/end-of-day processing and reports,

generating, receiving, and distributing mail to medical staff and patients. Responds to incoming correspondence & performs general filing. Receives sorts and delivers to the appropriate individual(s) incoming and outgoing mail or other documents, ordering and keeping records of supplies, assembling patient records according to prescribed formats; electronically file results of treatment in medical records and/or sends information to be scanned, determining patients' eligibility for treatment and paid travel expenses, if applicable. recording physicians' orders for patients on a variety of records, if applicable

Location: Clearlake, CA

Pay Scale & Grade: GS-06

Salary: $46,655 - $60,652 per year

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 8:00am 0 4:30pm
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/31/2022.
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.
• English Language Proficiency: Advanced Medical Support Assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Policy.

Creditable Experience Knowledge of MSA Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with current MSA responsibilities or an equivalent administrative patient support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment as an MSA or an equivalent position in a non-VA hospital or clinic setting.

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 as described in this standard, at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time
.
Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as an MSA or equivalent administrative patient support in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, an MSA employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive one full-time workweek of credit for each two weeks of service.

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).

Grade Determinations: For GS-06 In addition to the basic requirements you must demonstrate that you possess one year of specialized experience at the next lower grade level (GS-05).

Preferred Experience: Experience gained while working in a medical office, hospital, inpatient/outpatient clinic, Ancillary Service, Call Center, Care of Community Care, Consult Scheduling, Direct Scheduling, Interdisciplinary Coordinated Care Delivery Models, PACT TEAMLETS, Patient Systems, Radiology/Imaging/Nuclear Medicine, Specialty Clinics, Veterans Appointment Request, VistA Scheduling Graphical User Interface (VS GUI), Ward . Applying administrative judgment, the use of wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across multiple clinical, specialties. Recommends changes to existing clinic procedures based on current guidelines.

You will be rated on the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities based on your application for this position: Please make sure that each is addressed in detail in the body of your resume.

I. 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.
II. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
III. 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.
IV. Advanced knowledge of the technical healthcare process including, but not limited to, scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community models and patient healthcare portals as it relates to access to care.
V. 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.
VI. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.

References: VA Handbook 5005, PART II, APPENDIX G45 Medical Support Assistant VA Qualification Standards. Can be found in the local Human Resources Office.

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: This is primarily a sedentary position. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019

Education

There is no education substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a federal employee. VA may offer newly appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a VA job announcement includes language requiring applicants to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply to this Job Announcement. VA may request information regarding your vaccination status, if selected, for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

Due to COVID-19, VA is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement. Management officials will provide information about returning to the official, pre-pandemic worksite, when applicable. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework depending upon the terms of your organization's telework policy and the duties of the position.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $46,655.00 - $60,652.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Monday to Friday

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Clearlake, CA 95422: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Preferred)

Application Question(s):

• Must be a U.S. Citizen?

Experience:

• medical appointment scheduling: 1 year (Required)

Work Location: One location

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