Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Veterans Health Administration•Salt Lake City, UT

11d•Onsite

About The Position

The Salt Lake City VA Health Care System is recruiting an Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) for its Inpatient Psychiatric Unit. The AMSA provides expert administrative support in direct patient-care areas, helping facilitate efficient unit operations and timely care for acutely ill mental health patients. The position works collaboratively with an interdisciplinary care team and serves as a unit receptionist, coordinating administrative work related to patient admissions, discharges, and transfers. The AMSA accurately interprets and transcribes physician and nurse practitioner orders, communicates with clinical staff and patients, and enters information into computer systems based on Admit, Discharge, and Transfer orders. The AMSA performs appointment scheduling, phone support, consult review, care-coordination documentation, electronic patient-record maintenance, census and chart record maintenance, office-supply ordering, internal communications, and equipment troubleshooting. As a work leader, the AMSA distributes and monitors workload, provides guidance on policies and procedures, organizes assigned work areas, creates employee schedules, orients and trains staff, tracks training requirements, completes timekeeping, and helps resolve day-to-day workplace issues. The AMSA maintains communication with supervisors and works effectively with employees, patients, relatives, visitors, and professional staff. The work schedule includes afternoons, days, and rotating weekends and holidays. Compressed or flexible scheduling, telework, and virtual work are not available. Relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change of station are not authorized.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizen appointments when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
High school diploma, GED, or a proficiency certificate from a State or territorial Board or Department of Education.
Proficiency in spoken and written English.
For the GS-6 grade, one year of experience equivalent to GS-05 in Federal service, including relevant health-care administrative support experience.
Knowledge of medical terminology, appointment and consult scheduling, Microsoft Office, no-show entry, electronic wait-list monitoring, clinic preparation, encounter forms, patient demographics and insurance updates, transfers, eligibility, copays, and pre-authorizations.
Ability to collaborate, communicate, set priorities, and organize work to meet deadlines and comply with processes, policies, and regulations.
Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively orally and in writing, including preparing reports and presenting data.
Ability to run errands in support of clinical staff, call Rapid Response and direct resources during emergencies, and receive and direct patients and visitors.
Ability to sit, stand, walk, bend, lift and carry objects weighing more than 35 pounds, communicate verbally, and respond quickly to mental health codes.
Advanced knowledge of the technical health-care process as it relates to access to care, clinic management, operational policies affecting patient flow, patient care and revenue, and medical terminology.
Must complete required background and security investigation, onboarding, and application steps; seasonal influenza vaccination is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
Must serve a one- or two-year trial period.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of Microsoft programs including PowerPoint, Word, Teams, and Excel.
Experience scheduling patients in Clinical Video Telehealth, VA Video Connect, and phone clinics.
Experience scheduling across multiple platforms, including GUI, VistA, and the Telehealth Management Platform.

Responsibilities

Assist staff in direct patient-care areas with administrative operations and serve as the unit receptionist.
Interpret and transcribe physician and nurse practitioner orders and enter Admit, Discharge, and Transfer information into computer systems.
Coordinate administrative duties related to patient admissions, discharges, and transfers.
Schedule appointments and provide inbound and outbound phone support.
Review consults and complete documentation related to patient care coordination.
Maintain electronic patient records, census records, and charts.
Order office supplies, coordinate internal communications, and troubleshoot equipment.
Distribute and balance employee workloads, monitor work progress, and ensure assigned work is completed on time.
Provide staff guidance on policy and procedure changes, organize assigned work areas, and create employee work schedules.
Orient and provide on-the-job training to new and current employees and ensure training requirements are met.
Act as a liaison between Medical Support Assistants and staff to resolve day-to-day conflicts and workplace issues.
Complete timekeeping and provide input on employee performance.
Maintain communication with supervisors and work effectively with professional staff, employees, patients, relatives, and visitors.
Run errands in support of clinical team functions and call Rapid Response and direct resources during emergencies as needed.
Receive and direct patients and visitors.