Advanced Medical Support Assistant

Veterans Health Administration • Lewiston, ID

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Walla Walla VA Medical Center is seeking an Advanced Medical Support Assistant for the Health Administration Service Line at the Lewiston Community Based Outpatient Clinic. The incumbent serves on a Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) or in a specialty care setting involved in a PACT/BHIM model, coordinating with the patient care team to support clinic operations and patient care.

The role reviews clinic utilization reports, monitors clinic setup, and makes adjustments to support clinic needs. It also involves maintaining effective communication with patients, interdisciplinary teams, VA medical centers, and outside agencies to support care transitions, secure messaging, lab-result notifications, and follow-up tracking. The position is not virtual, and telework is not available. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA policy exceptions for non-citizens.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or state- or territory-issued proficiency certificate, unless qualifying under the applicable grandfathering provision.
• One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.
• Advanced knowledge of technical health care processes related to access to care, including interdisciplinary scheduling, community care models, and patient health care 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.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate with clinicians across multiple disciplines to support team goals and patient care.
• Ability to independently prioritize and organize work to meet deadlines and comply with established processes, policies, and regulations.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively with internal and external customers electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing; this may include preparing reports, presenting data, and resolving patient concerns.
• Complete applicable background and security investigation, onboarding, identification, influenza vaccination, and application-document requirements.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to written certification for continued employment.

Responsibilities

• Review clinic utilization with the patient care team using reports and adjust clinic setup as needed.
• Maintain effective communication with patients, interdisciplinary teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies.
• Assist with communication during inpatient-to-outpatient discharge and communicate with non-VA medical facilities.
• Facilitate and process secure messaging between patients and the care team, notify patients of normal lab results, and manage follow-up tracking for consults, tests, and other care.
• Participate in team huddles and meetings to manage and plan patient care, set priorities, and establish deadlines.
• Adjust the flow and sequencing of work to meet team and patient needs.
• Work with the team to reinforce care plans and self-help solutions and enter appropriate information into the electronic record.
• Monitor pre-appointment requirements to ensure readiness for patient visits or procedures, such as X-rays and lab work.
• Manage the electronic wait list by verifying and validating its accuracy and resolving issues.
• Participate in team meetings and provide input on operational problem-solving and procedures.
• Perform administrative follow-up actions and independently follow up on team huddles by sharing information and collaborating with the medical team to support continuity of care.
• Evaluate patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether patients are vested; inform providers about shared patients receiving care at multiple VA locations or in the community.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 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, subject to the stated conditions.
• Child care subsidy for eligible full-time employees after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility limits.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

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