Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) - Caregiver Support Program
What you'd do
This position is located in the Caregiver Support Program (CSP) at the Hershel Woody Williams VA Medical Center. The incumbent serves as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant (MSA) and is responsible for support of the Program Manager and other assigned CSP staff.
Major duties
he Advanced Medical Support Assistant - Caregiver Support Program aids the Program Manager and CSP staff in accomplishing programmatic work through an extensive knowledge and understanding of the organization, regulations, methods, and the other tools or resources of management. In the absence of the Program Manager, the MSA will serve as the point of contact for the Caregiver Support Program and provide vital program information to the Caregiver/Veteran, VA approved providers, VA Medical Center Staff and VISN CSP staff. In addition, the MSA assists in the establishment of Veterans and Caregivers in the Caregiver Support Program, the coordination of services, scheduling resource training and numerous program data tracking. The MSA is an important member of the CSP team and is relied upon to have extensive communication with the Veterans/Caregivers enrolled in the program. He/she supports all administrative functions for the Program Manager and other assigned CSP staff. The position is critical for the CSP to operate efficiently and successfully. Function or Scope of Duties and Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Assists with coordinating establishment of CSP eligibility/enrollment of new Veterans/Caregivers, ensuring accurate and timely provision of initial assessment, reassessment and appeal documents to the VISN CSP Centralized Eligibility Team (CET) interdisciplinary staff. Independently develops CSP training materials, presentations and information packets for CSP staff use with Veterans/Caregivers, VA Medical Center staff and during community outreach events/presentations. Develops Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and updates SOPs to reflect national and VISN changes to the CSP Orients new CSP staff to the CSP data collection procedures, SOPs and the specialized computer systems used by the CSP. Assists with planning and logistical coordination of all Caregiver Trainings and Events at the main facility(ies), Community Based Outpatient Clinics and community venues. Performs care coordination duties to include basic screening triage for incoming CSP consults; tracking and scheduling annual home visits, quarterly assessments, and Caregiver training; scheduling VA Video Connect (VVC) appointments in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines; and documenting in multiple electronic record keeping systems (i.e., Computerized Patient Record System--CPRS and CARMA). Manages the Caregiver Support Program Fund Control Point. The incumbent audits and makes corrections to invoices received from program vendors, and after audit, ensures timely and efficient payment processing. The incumbent develops and maintains financial spreadsheets, ensuring appropriate utilization of funds and ensuring no budget deficits. Maintains and tracks program census, assists in the preparation of program reports; assists in tracking internal reviews, VISN assigned action items, quality measures, and the efficiency of the CSP. Maintains CSP databases, assists in maintaining available resources and makes recommendations regarding needs and distribution of resources; coordinates correspondence for the CSP and assists in the daily operation of the program. Applies basic analytical methods to interpret data and recognize errors and deviations. Work Schedule: FT, 8am - 4:30pm, Monday-Friday Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA. Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 581-25312-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
What you need to qualify
BASIC REQUIREMENTS. To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following: Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). Experience. None. Education. High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education. Licensure/Certification/Registration. None. Grandfathering Provision. Employees in VHA in this occupation, under a permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and/or assignment held, including positive education and registration/certification where applicable. For employees who do not meet all the basic or assignment-specific requirements in this standard but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply: Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees retained in this occupation under this provision who subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation. NOTE: This provision is not intended to regularize appointments/ placements. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). GRADE DETERMINATIONS. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for placement at grade levels specified. Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-06. Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade. Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages, scheduling appointments, monitoring appointment requests, verifying and updating demographics and insurance information. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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. 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. Assignment. For all assignments above the FPL, the higher-level duties must be of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity, 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. At the advanced level, the Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) (AMSA) performs difficult and responsible 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. Recommend 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.). Other assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: processes 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; evaluates patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether the patient requires an immediate appointment; informs team members about shared patients (i.e., those who receive their care at multiple VA centers or those who receive care in the community). Preferred Experience: Experience providing scheduling and administrative support in a healthcare or high volume customer service environment. This includes coordinating appointments, handling cancellations/rescheduling, and communicating effectively with both patients and clinical staff. Experience working in a fast-paced setting requiring strong attention to detail, ability to prioritize multiple tasks, and proficiency with electronic scheduling and CPRS, while maintaining professionalism, confidentiality, and accuracy. Experience creating a program newsletter as well as other flyers. Assists TEAM with coordinating outreach. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
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