Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Veterans Health Administration • Lyons, NJ

6d • Onsite

About The Position

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) is part of the Health Administration Service at the VA New Jersey Healthcare System, an integrated system with comprehensive healthcare facilities in East Orange and Lyons and 11 Community Based Outpatient Clinics throughout New Jersey. The AMSA provides cross-coverage between the East Orange and Lyons campuses, regardless of assigned duty station.

The AMSA works as a member of a care team, participating in daily huddles and meetings to review individual patient needs and plan appropriate care. The role involves proactively engaging Veterans through secure messaging, VetLink, VAOS, the recall system, and in-person communication. The AMSA provides administrative screening and assistance, receives and directs patients for scheduled and unscheduled visits, and performs data entry and processing in VISTA/VS GUI for admissions, discharges, appointments, referrals, means tests, ICB capture, and other administrative processes.

The AMSA coordinates clinic utilization and setup with team members, monitors pre-appointment requirements, and manages electronic wait lists to ensure accuracy and resolve issues. The role also supports patient follow-up, communicates with patients, clinicians, VA medical centers, non-VA facilities, and other agencies, and helps ensure continuity of care. Additional duties include setting work priorities, adjusting workflow to meet team and patient needs, reinforcing care plans and self-help solutions, notifying patients of normal lab results, tracking follow-up care, and identifying patients who receive care at multiple VA or community locations.

The work schedule is 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Telework is not authorized, and the position is not virtual. This is a permanent position with a two-year trial period. The full performance level is GS-6.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated statutory exception for non-citizens when qualified U.S. citizens cannot be recruited.
• High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or state or territorial proficiency certificate.
• One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level for the Advanced Medical Support Assistant GS-6 grade determination.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate with clinicians across multiple medical disciplines to achieve team goals and meet patient-care needs.
• 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 electronically, by 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 related to access to care, including interdisciplinary scheduling, community-care models, and patient healthcare portals.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures for coordinated care and community-care operations affecting patient flow and administrative support, including appointment cycles, outside referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, and provider availability.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Must meet applicable background and security investigation requirements and complete required onboarding and application documentation.
• Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as a Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel requirement.
• Must serve a two-year trial period.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Physical requirements are governed by VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Nice To Haves

• One year of creditable healthcare experience equivalent to GS-4 in the federal system, such as medical assistant, medical receptionist, or clinical administrative support work in a hospital or clinic.
• Advanced familiarity with medical terminology and clinical processes.
• Hands-on experience with electronic health record systems, appointment scheduling software, multi-line phone systems, or virtual patient portals.
• Experience managing patient flow, check-ins, outside referrals, and scheduling adjustments in high-volume, fast-paced environments.
• Ability to independently set priorities and resolve patient concerns.

Responsibilities

• Provide cross-coverage between the East Orange and Lyons campuses regardless of assigned duty station.
• Participate in daily team huddles and meetings to review patient needs and plan care.
• Engage Veterans through MyHealtheVet secure messaging, VetLink, VAOS, the recall system, and in-person communication.
• Educate care-team members about scheduling protocols, including Electronic Wait List, NEAR List, and MISSION Act timeliness requirements.
• Receive and direct patients reporting for scheduled and unscheduled visits, and administratively screen Veterans to determine the nature of medical problems.
• Enter and process data in VISTA/VS GUI for admissions, discharges, appointments, referrals, means tests, ICB capture, and other administrative processes.
• Coordinate clinic utilization and monitor clinic setup, making adjustments as needed to support clinic requirements.
• Communicate and coordinate with patients, interdisciplinary team members, VA medical centers, non-VA medical facilities, and other agencies.
• Process secure messaging requests, notify patients of normal lab results, and develop or manage tracking systems for follow-up care such as consults and tests.
• Set priorities and deadlines and adjust the flow and sequence of work to meet team and patient needs.
• Reinforce care plans and self-help solutions with the team and enter appropriate information into the electronic record.
• Monitor pre-appointment requirements, such as X-rays and lab work, to ensure readiness for patient visits or procedures.
• Manage the electronic wait list to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues.
• Participate in operational problem-solving and perform administrative follow-up actions.
• Follow up on team huddles and collaborate with the medical team to support continuity of care.
• Review patient information and clinic schedules to determine whether patients are vested, and alert providers about patients receiving care at multiple VA facilities or in the community.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Competitive salary with regular salary increases; a higher step rate within the grade may be considered based on qualifications or VA needs.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to request and approval.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster placement of a child.
• Eligible full-time employees may receive a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility requirements.
• 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: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED