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.
- English Language Proficiency: MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j.
- Experience and Education:
- Experience: Six months experience of clerical, office or other work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position;
- or
- Education: One year above high school;
- or
- Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.
Grade Determinations: GS-6 Advanced Medical Support Assistant.
Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
Assignment: The Advanced MSA coordinates with the patient care team to review the clinic utilization by using various reports(e.g., Clinic Utilization Statistical Summary), ensure that the clinic setup is closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinic, and make any necessary adjustments. They develop/maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary team, VA medical centers, and other agencies (e.g., 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, tests, etc.). Other assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: participating in team huddles and team meetings to manage and plan patient care; setting priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs; may work with the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions and entering appropriate information into the electronic record; monitoring pre-appointment requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure (e.g., X-ray, lab work); managing electronic wait list to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues; participating and providing input in problem solving on operational issues or procedures in team meetings, performing administrative follow up actions; participating in and independently following up on team huddles by sharing information and collaborating with the medical team to assure continuity of care; evaluating patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether patient is vested; educating providers about shared patients (those who receive their care at multiple VAs or those who have care in the community) and bringing to the attention of the provider. Serve as/advisors and experts to the Section Chiefs and support the management information components of all health eligibility related programs. This includes not only entering data and information when necessary, but also reviewing reports, records and statistical computations for accuracy and propriety. Local input is compared with the Health Eligibility Center (HEC) in Atlanta, GA and also will affect data entry for encounter entries that go to Austin for workload credit. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Candidates must demonstrate the KSAs below:
Ability to collaborate, communicate, set priorities, and organize the work in order to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, both orally and in writing, in order to meet program objectives. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels.
Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process as it relates to access to care.
Advanced knowledge of managing a clinic. This includes independently utilizing reference sources, decision making, and empowering the team to collaborate and resolve problems within a complex systems environment.
Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with operational activities that affect the patient flow, patient care, and the revenue process.
Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.
References: VA Handbook 5005/53 Part II, Appendix G45 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6.
Physical Requirements: Work is generally sedentary in nature with some walking, standing and bending. Occasionally requires moderate physical activity, e.g. carrying light items such as books and papers, or lifting boxes or records.