Advanced Medical Support Assistant
What you'd do
The Advanced Medical Support Assistant(AMSA) is located at the George E. Wahlen Medical Center Imaging Services. The AMSA provides expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary care delivery model(a team comprised of doctors, physician assistants, radiology technologists, radiologists, nurses, pharmacists, dieticians, physical therapists, occupational therapists, social work)which provides optimal care to acutely ill patients or those requiring care.
Major duties
The Department of Veterans Affairs, Salt Lake City Medical Center (VA-SLC) in Utah is a level 1A state of-the-art patient care facility with comprehensive and complex radiographic and imaging programs. SLCVAMC with multiple Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC), providing tertiary care in Medicine, Surgery, Neurology, Mental Health, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, ER Medicine, Surgical and Medical Subspecialties, and advanced. The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) is a chief source of information and scheduling complex and specialized modalities of Radiology Service to ensure patients are accurately set up for procedures and coordinates all requirements (equipment, labs, anesthesia, AMU beds, hydration, etc.) for that procedure with other services, physicians, and vendors. The AMSA works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model (i.e., patient aligned care team, or other specialty care setting where the patient aligned care team model is used such as oncology, HIV, SCI, Military Sexual Trauma, etc.). 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; analyzes lab results and relays results to appropriate medical staff while recognizing and referring urgent ones to the professional staff for immediate action. The AMSA receive and triages orders, schedules initial and follow-up appointments, and tracks orders for serviced disciplines. Coordinates the transfer of patients between wards and clinics. Coordinates appointments for patients with other medical services, including emergency add-ons and same day appointments. The AMSA ensures all necessary medical data (x-ray and lab reports, admit orders, etc.) is available to clinicians prior to patients' arrival and assists with keeping program staff appraised of patient census and any changes/problems that might be encountered. When necessary, ensures outside medical provider documentation is obtained and scanned into the medical record. The Advanced MSA reviews patients' records and physicians' orders on a variety of records; and selects, completes, and routes requests for patient activities and treatment procedures. Triages requests according to urgency and schedule. The employee is responsible for greeting and registering patients for procedures. Notification to staff technologists of patient arrival. Coordinates transportation with transport services. Schedules patients in Vista/CPRS, and Radiology scheduling program. Assists supervisors and technologists in expediting patient throughput by directing patients to procedure rooms, updating exam status, etc. Monitors patient waiting times in the department and notifies supervisor of individual waiting times > 30 minutes. Provides first explanation to patient with reason for delay. Coordinates patient scheduling with other scheduled procedures as much as possible unless exam is deemed emergent. Receives and answers telephone inquiries or refers to appropriate staff member; takes message and/or pages individuals as necessary. A heavy volume of phone calls is to be expected in this position. Performs other directly related duties as assigned. Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Medical Support Assistant: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-MSA-VA-Career-Flyer.pdf Work Schedule: 08:00am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday 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) 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 #: 56047-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
What you need to qualify
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. 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: 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: Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-06: (1) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-5 Medical Support Assistant grade level. Duties at this level include, but are not limited to: performing a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting; answering phones; greeting patients; relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit; scheduling appointments; including interpreting and verifying provider orders to schedule within scheduling guidelines. (2) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) 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. (b) 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. (c) Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians. (d) 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. (e) Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations. (f) 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. Preferred Experience: 1 Year experience equivalent to the GS-4 grade level. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS 06. Physical Requirements: The work performed is predominately clerical in nature and requires no special physical standards. The work is usually performed in an office setting, working with others and/or alone. As typical in an office setting, there is the possibility for multiple distractions from normal operating functions and the incumbent is expected to be able to physically perform the duties of the position, aides permitted (which may include walking, sitting, standing, reaching, and bending.) The work may also include the need for light lifting and carrying (under 15 lbs.) of work materials (i.e.: books, binders, papers, etc.).
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