Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Veterans Health Administration•Louisville, KY

12d•Onsite

About The Position

The incumbent serves as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant assigned to a specialty outpatient clinic care team. The team includes a specialty care provider (MD, NP, or PA), registered nurse care manager, clinical associate (LPN or medical assistant/health technician), and administrative associate (MA/MSA/health technician). The employee works across clinics throughout the hospital and applies knowledge of clinic processes, services, policies, and procedures affecting operational activities and workload data. The role requires thorough knowledge of multiple systems and current computer technology, including imaging applications, PC Fax applications, and VistA applications. It also requires knowledge of VA medical-care eligibility and priorities, release of information, HIPAA laws, Medical Fee Basis programs, and the VA Medical Care Cost Recovery Program, including insurance-data and revenue collection. The incumbent must have experience performing duties related to these programs. The position is not available for telework and is not virtual. The work schedule is either 7:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday or 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The role is generally sedentary and involves operating a computer terminal and managing multiple activities. Some walking, standing, bending, and carrying light items may be required. Work may be stressful during peak clinic hours or days with high clinic volume. The full performance level and actual grade for the vacancy are GS-06. Applicants must meet the basic education requirement of a high school diploma or equivalent, and the grade determination requires one year of experience equivalent to GS-5, along with the specified knowledge, skills, and abilities. There is no substitution of education for experience at this grade level.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for appointment of non-citizens when qualified 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.
Advanced knowledge of technical health-care processes related to access to care, including scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care and/or care-in-the-community models and patient health-care portals.
Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures for interdisciplinary coordinated care and/or care-in-the-community operations affecting patient flow and administrative support functions, including appointment cycles, outside referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, and provider availability.
Advanced knowledge of medical terminology.
Ability to collaborate and communicate with a wide range of medical clinicians across multiple disciplines.
Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines while 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, presenting data, and resolving patient concerns.
Proficiency in spoken and written English.
Meet applicable physical requirements; the position involves operating a computer terminal and managing multiple activities, with some walking, standing, bending, and carrying light items.
Complete all application steps, including the online assessment, and provide detailed documentation of relevant experience, including job title, duties, start and end dates by month and year, and hours worked per week.
Meet background/security investigation and onboarding requirements, and participate in the VA seasonal influenza vaccination program.
Serve a one- or two-year trial period, as required.
If using education completed outside the United States, provide an equivalency determination from a private organization specializing in evaluating foreign educational credentials.

Responsibilities

Apply knowledge of clinic processes and services while functioning in and interacting with various hospital clinics.
Apply policies and procedures associated with operational activities that affect workload data.
Use imaging applications, PC Fax applications, VistA applications, and other current computer technology.
Provide information about VA medical-care eligibility, priorities for care, release of information, HIPAA laws, and Medical Fee Basis programs.
Provide patients with information about the VA Medical Care Cost Recovery Program, including insurance-data collection and revenue collection.
Schedule, cancel, and reschedule patient appointments and/or consults; enter no-show information; and monitor appointment requests from multiple electronic sources.
Participate in huddles with MSAs and clinic staff to determine daily clinic needs and monitor inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility.
Verify and update patient demographic and insurance information at appointment check-in.
Coordinate administrative functions related to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other clinical or medical facilities or private hospitals.
Determine appointment type based on the patient's eligibility status.
Collaborate and communicate with medical clinicians across multiple disciplines to support team goals and patient care.
Set priorities and organize work independently to meet deadlines and comply with processes, policies, and regulations.
Communicate with internal and external customers electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing, including resolving patient concerns and preparing or presenting reports and data.