Medical Support Assistant - Advanced

Veterans Health Administration•Altoona, PA

8d•Onsite

About The Position

The James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center is recruiting an Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) for its Health Administration service. The AMSA provides specialized administrative patient support and works collaboratively within an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. The role uses administrative judgment and clinical-flow processes to support access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and community-care resources. The AMSA supports patients and clinical teams through appointment scheduling and management, communications, records and demographic updates, and coordination of patient-care administrative processes. The position is scheduled Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework and virtual work are not available. This is a permanent position; relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change of station are not authorized.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship, except where appointment of a qualified non-citizen is permitted under VA policy.
High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or state- or territorial-level proficiency certificate.
Proficiency in spoken and written English.
One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level, including appointment and consult scheduling, interpreting and verifying provider orders, entering no-show information, monitoring electronic appointment requests, participating in clinic huddles, updating demographics and insurance information, and coordinating administrative functions related to transfers and appointment eligibility.
Ability to collaborate and communicate with a wide range of medical clinicians across multiple disciplines to support team goals and patient care.
Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines while complying 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.
Advanced knowledge of technical health-care processes related to access to care, including interdisciplinary scheduling and community-care models and patient health-care portals.
Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures for interdisciplinary care delivery and community-care operations that affect patient flow and administrative patient support, including appointment cycles, outside referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, and provider availability.
Advanced knowledge of medical terminology.
Must complete the application and questionnaire, required online assessment, onboarding, and background/security investigation requirements.
Must meet Selective Service registration requirements, if applicable.
Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
Must serve a one- or two-year trial period.

Responsibilities

Answer phones, greet patients, and relay messages to appropriate staff inside or outside the unit.
Schedule patient appointments by interpreting and verifying provider orders and requests, including Return to Clinic orders, recall requests, consults, and New Enrollee Appointment Requests.
Schedule future appointments according to provider clinic profiles, Advanced Clinic Access principles, and patient input.
Generate and provide After Visit Summaries following appropriate provider actions.
Cancel and reschedule appointment requests; complete no-show procedures, document and mark no-shows, and reschedule appointments.
Monitor appointment requests from multiple electronic sources.
Verify and update patient demographics, temporary addresses, insurance information, and caregiver information.
Work with providers to expedite emergency requests and support timely patient care.
Recommend changes to clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines.
Coordinate with the patient care team to review appointment availability and clinic utilization, monitor schedules, and make adjustments as needed.
Develop and maintain effective communication with patients, interdisciplinary care teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies.
Receive and relay high volumes of communications by telephone, fax, and email; determine the nature and urgency of inquiries and respond independently or route them to appropriate clinical staff.
Participate in team huddles and meetings to manage, plan, problem-solve, and follow up on patient care by sharing information and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team.
Set priorities and deadlines and adjust work flow and sequencing to meet team and patient needs.
Identify incomplete encounters and communicate findings to providers as needed.
Perform clerical duties related to patient care and treatments, including admitting and discharging, arranging travel, forwarding medication orders and work orders, and maintaining electronic medical charts.
Use patient systems to verify and validate accuracy, resolve issues, review patient information and clinic schedules for patients requiring immediate appointments, and inform team members about shared patients.
Perform other duties as assigned.