Duties

Coordinate with the PACT Team to review the clinic utilization by using various reports (e.g., Clinic Utilization Statistical Summary), to ensure the clinic setup is closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinic.

Develop/maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary team, VA medical centers, and other agencies.

Assist with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge.

Communicate with non-VA medical facilities, facilitate/process secure messaging with the patient and team.

Notify patients of normal lab results; develop and manage a tracking system for follow up care such as consults, test, etc.).Participating in PACT Team huddles to manage and plan patient care, setting priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs.

Enter appropriate information into the electronic record; monitoring pre-appointment requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure.

Provide input in problem solving on operational issues or procedures in team meetings.

Perform administrative follow up actions, participating in and independently following up on team huddles by sharing information and collaboration with the medical teams to assure continuity of care.

Evaluate patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether patient is vested.

Educate providers about shared patients (those who receive their care at multiple VA's or those who have care in the community) and bringing to the attention of the provider.

Work Schedule: 7:45AM - 4:30PM, Monday - Friday
Functional Statement #: 658-000000
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

United States Citizenship. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

Experience and Education.

(1) Experience. Six months experience of clerical, office, customer service, or other administrative work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position;

OR,

(2) Education. One year above high school;

OR,

(3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.

Certification. None required.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

English Language Proficiency. Medical Support Assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Policy.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).Grade Determinations. To qualify for the GS-6 level, your resume must demonstrate you possess the required experience necessary to possess the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) required for the grade. Be specific when describing the job duties that demonstrate you possess the KSAs listed.

Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-6(a) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. Qualifying experience includes entering, modifying, retrieving sensitive information into or from electronic health records, scheduling systems, and/or reports; scheduling medical appointments in a clinical setting; performing patient support work; providing customer service and identifying patient concerns to ensure satisfactory resolution, and have an advanced level of medical terminology. Resume must include hours per week for work experience credit.(b)

Assignment. The Advanced MSA 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. Expertise in utilizing numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics involved in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. 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 makes adjustments as necessary. MSAs at this level develop and/or maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies (e.g., assist with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge; communicate with non-VA medical facilities; prepare correspondence to notify patients of normal lab results; manage a system for follow-up care such as consults, tests, etc.).(c)

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition, you must demonstrate ALL of the following KSAs in your resume:

1. 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.

2. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.

References: VA Handbook 5005/53 Part II, Appendix G45 VA Qualification Standard for Medical Support Assistant, GS-0679.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6.

Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary in a clinic setting but requires some walking, standing, bending with some light carrying (up to 10 lbs.) of medical records or supplies to various locations of the medical center.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ . If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html .

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a VA job announcement includes language requiring applicants to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply to this Job Announcement. VA may request information regarding your vaccination status, if selected, for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .