Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.
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 3.j.
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).
GS-6 Advanced MSA Experience; In addition to meeting the basic requirements, candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):
- Ability to collaborate and communicate with a wide range of medical clinicians across multiple disciplines (e.g. anesthesiology, interventional radiology, audiology and speech pathology) to accomplish team goal setting to ensure medical care to patients is met.
- Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, 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 in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels, as well as resolving patient concerns.
- Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process as it relates to access of care.
- Ability to enter lab orders "under policy" to obtain the required lab work prior to patient's imaging procedure.
- Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.
- Ability to collect insurance information and capture using the Insurance Capture Buffer (ICB)
- Ability to create and coordinate the daily appointment schedules for one or more imaging outpatient clinic (e.g. cancel and reschedule appointments, enter No Show information, schedule imaging appointments utilizing the Radiology Package).
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.
AMSAs 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.
Prepare correspondence to notify patients of normal lab results; manage a system for follow-up care such as consults, tests, etc.).
Other assignments at this level include, but are not limited to:
- Process incoming patient secure messaging through MyHealthyVet and coordinates with care team as appropriate.
- Participates in team huddles and team meetings to manage, plan, problem solve, and follow-up with patient care by sharing information and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team; setting priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs.
- Identifies incomplete encounters and communicates findings to providers; as needed.
- Assists the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions; enters appropriate information into the electronic record; monitors pre-appointment information and/or requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure.
- Manages patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues.
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.
Preferred Experience:
- A minimum of 1 year experience in a health care setting.
- Experience interacting with internal and external customers to achieve desired outcomes.
- Experience coordinating information and actions related to patient care and services.
- Experience with VA computer applications and systems to include Vista, CPRS and Insurance Capture Buffer (ICB) System.
- Experience with scheduling, cancelling or rescheduling appointments in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.
- Experience with performing patient check-in or check-out procedures.
- Experience with interpreting and verifying provider orders.
- Experience with obtaining medical information from patients, documenting information accurately in the appropriate system and communicating accurately and timely to the appropriate clinician or team as needed.
- Experience with entering no-show and cancel by patient information.
- Knowledge of Clinic Operations
- Possess excellent customer service skills
- possess excellent organizational skills
- possess time management skills
- Experience with electronic wait lists.
- Experience with distribution of mail and other interoffice communication.
References: VA Handbook 5005/53, Part II, Appendix G45, Medical Support Assistant GS-679.
Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing.