Advanced Medical Support Assistant

Veterans Health Administration • Paducah, KY

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) works in the Nursing Operations Department at the Paducah VA Clinic in Paducah, Kentucky. The position provides specialized and expert administrative patient support in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. It requires administrative judgment and flexible use of clinical flow processes related to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and care-in-the-community resources. The incumbent uses advanced patient systems and may recommend changes to clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines.

The AMSA coordinates with patient care teams to monitor clinic appointment availability and adjust schedules as needed. The role supports communication among patients, interdisciplinary care teams, VA medical centers, and outside agencies, including coordination around inpatient-to-outpatient discharge, communication with non-VA facilities, patient correspondence, and follow-up care. The position also processes patient secure messages, contributes to team huddles and meetings, sets work priorities, identifies incomplete encounters, records information in electronic records, monitors readiness for appointments and procedures, verifies patient-system data, and helps identify patients needing immediate appointments.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework is not authorized, and the position is not virtual. Relocation, recruitment incentives, and permanent change of station are not authorized. The work is sedentary, with occasional walking, standing, bending, and carrying light items.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• High school diploma, GED, or state- or territorial-level proficiency certificate, unless qualifying under the applicable grandfathering provision.
• One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level.
• Advanced knowledge of technical health care processes related to access to care, including scheduling across interdisciplinary care and care-in-the-community models and patient health care portals.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures for interdisciplinary care delivery and care-in-the-community operations 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 medical clinicians across multiple disciplines to support team goals and patient care.
• Ability to independently set priorities 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 the required application steps and online assessment.
• Meet background and security investigation requirements and complete online onboarding and pre-employment identification requirements.
• Participate in the VA seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period.

Nice To Haves

• Three years of clerical or scheduling experience for inpatient or outpatient mental health and/or behavioral health services.
• Ability to respond calmly and confidently to behavioral health crises.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialized and expert administrative patient support in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model.
• Use advanced patient systems to support multiple clinics and coordinate clinical flow and access to care.
• Recommend changes to clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines.
• Review clinic appointment availability with patient care teams, monitor schedules, and make adjustments as necessary.
• Communicate with patients, care teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies, including during inpatient-to-outpatient discharge and coordination with non-VA facilities.
• Prepare correspondence to notify patients of normal laboratory results and manage follow-up care such as consults and tests.
• Process incoming patient secure messages through MyHealtheVet and coordinate with the care team as appropriate.
• Participate in team huddles and meetings to plan, problem-solve, and follow up on patient care by sharing information and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team.
• Set priorities and deadlines and adjust the flow and sequence of work to meet team and patient needs.
• Identify incomplete encounters and communicate findings to providers as needed.
• Assist the team in reinforcing plans of care and self-help solutions.
• Enter appropriate information into the electronic record.
• Monitor pre-appointment information and requirements to ensure readiness for patient visits or procedures.
• Manage patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues.
• Review patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether patients require immediate appointments.
• Inform team members about shared patients receiving care at multiple VA centers or in the community.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package available to employees and their families, subject to position eligibility.
• Selected applicants may request consideration for annual leave accrual credit based on prior work or military service, subject to approval.

What This Job Offers

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