Duties
This position is in Radiology Service at the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio. The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) is assigned to the Office of the Chief, Radiology Service. The AMSA coordinates, understands, and manages the clinical administrative activities of the Film library, under the direction and supervision of the Health Sciences Supervisor to meet the administrative and clinical needs of the Service. The incumbent supports a highly complex clinical service comprised of personnel across 7 sites and involves planning and managing resources to provide safe and effective exchange of imaging. The incumbent is responsible for administrative oversite of the imaging exchange process, liaison to outside facilities and several modalities of service including Mammography and Cardiology, tracking of all incoming and outgoing imaging, providing image studies from Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), ascertaining information from VISTA imaging, scanning reports, managing old patient outside studies to become part of the patient's record, and managing old internal archive records. This position provides guidance and support to Radiology Service in the areas of office management, data analysis, and technical support.
The duties of the position also require extensive interrelationships with the other Medical Center patient care services, Care Administrative Service (PCAS), Human Resources, Material Management, Facilities Management, Information Technology, and other support services.
Duties:
- Work with clinical and administrative staff members requiring medical imaging import/export needs. Incumbent reports directly to the Supervisor of Health Sciences but may seek additional assistance from the Radiology PACS Administrator or Assistant.
- Responsible for the day-to-day processes of ensuring patients, physicians, medical centers, etc. receive the requested films in an efficient and timely manner. The incumbent is responsible for the overall control and integrity of radiographic files, inclusive of pulling and uploading radiologic imaging. Incumbent answers the telephone and emails in a timely and professional manner, prioritizing the needs of the department. Incumbent will coordinate mammographic priors working with the Mammography technologists, physicians, and outside facilities to ensure accurate and timely image availability.
- Responsible for protecting patient data from unauthorized release or from loss, alteration, or unauthorized release of access codes, etc. as set out in Medical Center Policy OIT-007. It is the responsibility of the incumbent to assure the proper release of information forms are filled out properly along with ascertaining necessary patient identification prior to executing the request. When imaging studies arrive to the Radiology service via CD, DVD, or through electronic exchange the incumbent will be capable of scanning them into the system and reconciling within PACS and Vista Imaging using a variety of applications and tools including Vista Radiology Information System, Importer, Medicom ImageX, Intellispace PACS, and PACSGear.
- Identify progress and training needs of Radiology support assistants and assist with developing, managing, and enforcing all File Room workflow SOP's, Policies, and duties and give input toward annual reviews.
- Coordinate, understand, and manage the office activities of the Film library, under the direction and supervision of the Health Sciences Supervisor to meet the administrative and clinical needs of the Service. The individual is accountable for communicating to the team; the daily operations involved in ensuring that patients, physicians, medical centers, and other stakeholders receive the requested medical films in an efficient and timely manner. The incumbent is responsible for the overall management and integrity of diagnostic radiographic files, which includes retrieving and uploading radiologic imaging into various Data archiving systems specific to the Radiology service.
- Provide support to the team by leveraging their expertise in leadership and team-building skills and techniques, which include coordination, coaching, problem- solving, interpersonal communication, integration of work processes and products, resource acquisition, and liaising with the supervisor. The incumbent is also responsible for achieving outcomes and results, including the timely delivery of high-quality work products and services produced by their team.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 94172-0
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
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.
- 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
Education/Experience:
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,
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.
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 For Advanced Medical Support Assistant GS-6
Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level.
Experience at the GS-5 grade level may include:
- Ability to operate computerized programs and systems in order to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient identifying information (PII) into or from electronic health records, scheduling systems, and/or reports.
- Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understanding medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.
- Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting.
- Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work.
- Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone with internal and external customers.
- Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns and refer to the appropriate staff as necessary to ensure a satisfactory resolution.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
- 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.
- 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 (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.
- 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.
- Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit
https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
This position is above the full performance level. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-6.
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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- Resume (when listing previous employment please include month and year).
- Your most recent SF-50 that shows title, series, and grade.
- If you have previously held a higher grade and are applying based on that grade, you must provide a copy of the SF-50 showing you held the higher grade in addition to your last or most recent SF-50 indicating proof of status. Note: Your SF-50 must reflect the grade and step information equivalent to or greater than the grade lower than the position you are applying to. This may not always be your most recent SF-50. You may need to submit more than one SF-50.
Please use this
checklist to ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.
Veterans' Preference: Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 02/21/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12687697.
- To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
- Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USA JOBS account,
https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USA JOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USA JOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.