Advanced Medical Support Assistant

Veterans Health Administration • Monroeville, PA

9d • Onsite

About The Position

The Pittsburgh VA Medical Center-Monroeville VA Clinic is recruiting an Advanced Medical Support Assistant in Primary Care. The position provides specialized administrative patient support as part of an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. It requires administrative judgment and flexible use of clinical flow processes to support access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and community-care resources.

The AMSA schedules and manages appointments, answers clinic phones, checks Veterans in and out, and directs Veterans and visitors. The role also includes greeting patients, relaying messages, managing scheduling menus in VISTA and other specialized programs, entering no-show information, and coordinating administrative functions that support patient flow and care access. Work is performed in an office setting and is primarily sedentary.

The position is full-time, Monday through Friday, with the listed schedule shown as either 7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. or 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Telework and virtual work are not available. The full-performance level and actual selection grade are GS-6.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA policy exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or state/territorial proficiency certificate.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate with medical clinicians across multiple disciplines to accomplish team goals and meet patient-care needs.
• Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines while complying with processes, policies, and regulations.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively by electronic means, phone, in person, and in writing with internal and external customers; this may include preparing reports, presenting data, and resolving patient concerns.
• Advanced knowledge of technical healthcare processes relating to access to care, including interdisciplinary care delivery, community-care models, and patient healthcare portals.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures affecting patient flow and administrative support, including appointment cycles, outside referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, and provider availability.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology.
• Must meet VA employment conditions, including background/security investigation, onboarding requirements, seasonal influenza vaccination, and any applicable Selective Service registration requirement.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to written certification for continued employment.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with Veterans or individuals with complex psychosocial needs.
• Familiarity with VA policies and procedures.
• Prior work experience or military service may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, subject to approval.

Responsibilities

• Schedule, cancel, and reschedule patient appointments and consults, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA scheduling guidelines.
• Answer phones, greet patients, and relay messages to appropriate staff inside or outside the unit.
• Check Veterans in and out for appointments and direct Veterans and visitors within the building.
• Manage scheduling menus in VISTA, including scheduling appointments in GUI, ISS, and other specialized scheduling programs.
• Enter no-show information and monitor appointment requests from multiple electronic sources.
• Participate in clinic huddles and monitor inpatient and outpatient appointments to help determine clinic needs.
• Verify and update patient demographics and insurance information at check-in.
• Coordinate administrative functions for emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals.
• Determine appointment type based on patient eligibility status.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary clinical staff to support patient care, access, and clinic operations.
• Communicate with patients and internal and external customers, including resolving patient concerns.
• Organize and prioritize work, meet deadlines, and follow established processes, policies, and regulations.

Benefits

• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including annual leave, sick leave, and 11 paid Federal holidays.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment, in connection with birth, adoption, or foster care placement.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility requirements.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting.
• Federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED