Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Veterans Health Administration • Spirit Lake, IA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

This position provides medical administrative support to one or more outpatient clinics and is an integral member of the clinic team to effectively carry out day-to-day administrative operations of the clinic. The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) is responsible for accurate appointment management and the coordination of all administrative information between the professional staff, patient, patient caregiver and/or representative.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Must complete all required steps in the process.
• Must complete an online assessment.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements.
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• Will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period.
• All qualifying experience you possess must be clearly described in your application package.
• Failure to clearly demonstrate your experience in your application package may result in disqualification.
• All applicants are required to submit responses to each Knowledge, Skill, and Ability (KSA) on a separate document.
• United States Citizenship : Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Education: High School diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
• One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level, which includes, but not limited to: Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients
• Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution.
• Ability to operate computerized programs and systems in order to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient identifying information (PII) into or from electronic health records, scheduling systems, and/or reports.
• Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting
• Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone, with internal and external customers
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.
• Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process (including, but not limited to, scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community models and patient health care portals) as it relates to access to care.
• 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.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.
• 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.
• Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
• 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.

Nice To Haves

• Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Responsibilities

• Works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary care delivery model and performs receptionist, customer service, and administrative duties for the proper and timely treatment of patients.
• Demonstrates substantial skills in planning, organizing, problem solving, and decision-making.
• Maintains appointment schedules for one or more outpatient clinics, while demonstrating a high level of oral and written communication skills.
• Provides administrative support to our clinical colleagues in the care of our Nation's Veterans.
• Utilizes a variety of patient data systems and is responsible for performing scheduling functions including appointment scheduling/rescheduling, and cancellations, providing reception to incoming and outgoing customers and communication, appointment check in/out, verification and disposition of provider orders, manual and electronic data entry, and reviewing and updating patient demographics, insurance verification and reviewing and disposition of Message Manager and Secure Messages.
• Provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model.
• Work involves specialized administrative judgment and the flexible use of a wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and/or care in the community resources.
• Recommends changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines.
• Coordinates with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability (utilization), to ensure that clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics and adjust as necessary.
• Participates in team huddles and team meetings to manage, plan, problem solve and follow-up with patient care by sharing information and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team; setting priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs; identifies incomplete encounters, independently generates reports, and communicates findings to team members.
• Receives phone calls in a courteous and timely manner, determine the nature of requests and provide the information desired using privacy rules and established clinic processes.
• Schedules patient's future appointments with appropriate clinical team members.
• Organizes paperwork required for the examination.
• Request medical records from community healthcare facilities, schedules consultation appointments, special procedures, and/or testing labs, radiology, CPAP, PFT's, pulmonary, and other clinics to coordinate care.
• Able to interpret and communicate requirements of VHA Scheduling Directives and policies.
• Appointments will be made with the patient's input, either in person, over the phone, or through written communication.
• This may require a high level of coordination to avoid patients having to make multiple trips to the medical center or clinic.
• Daily review of return to clinic orders, queries, and referrals.

Benefits

• A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
• As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.
• Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.
• Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

What This Job Offers

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