Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)
What you'd do
The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) assigned to the Imaging Service provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. Frequent communication with healthcare providers, clinical staff, community care representatives, community partners, patients, and visitor are a critical component of performing the primary duties of this position.
Major duties
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) will actively review imaging related Community Care (aka Non-VA Care or Care in the Community) consults to determine if associated imaging orders need to be discontinued or completed. Locates outside reports, verifying completeness, upload reports into VISTA Imaging report management software, completes/closes orders, and flagging providers to review medical data. Works with Community Care staff and mission partners to correct incomplete or partial reports. Referencing the MISSION Act, determines if patient is eligible to receive care in the community if Imaging Service cannot provide services, excessive clinic appointment wait times, or patient travel time exceeds established standards. If patient is eligible, discusses options to the patient and works with the patient's healthcare provider to submit a Community Care consult. Documents patient's decision when opting in/out of care in the community in the patient's digital medical record. The primary duties of the Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) may include but are not limited to: Works alongside a multidisciplinary team consisting of physicians, nurses, health physicists, nuclear medicine technologists, and diagnostic radiologic technologists to manage the individual imaging modality's daily appointment grid and patient workflow. Uses knowledge of equipment capabilities, staff availability, and patient preparation instructions to determine the most efficient us of the daily appointment grid. Works with Patient Travel and Accounting staff to ensure medical documentation is complete so that authorized veterans receive appropriate travel pay. Runs daily orders pending and hold reports within radiology information systems (i.e. VISTA Imaging) to determine scheduling workload priorities. Contacts patients to schedule, re-schedule, and cancel imaging appointments. Works with Imaging Service staff to ensure imaging orders are protocoled by a professional staff member prior to the appointment date. Responsible for the clerical duties within the Imaging Service to include clinic reception, customer service, third party insurance screening & collection (i.e. Insurance Buffer Capture software), uploading and downloading digital images on medical grade CD/DVD. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Subject to change by supervisor to meet facility needs. 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 #: 520-00077-F 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. No experience required. 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, English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment listed in paragraph 3 above, the following education and experience criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: GS-06: Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. GS-5 Assignment. This is the full performance level for MSAs. At this level, the MSA independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting. Advises clinical staff on current administrative processes. The MSA is responsible for answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit scheduling appointments, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring 7 appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; participating in huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic, monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when patients check-in for appointments. Coordinates administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals and determines appointment type based on the patient's eligibility status (i.e., TRICARE, sharing agreements, collaterals, research patient, VA employee, etc.). Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: i. 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. ii. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations. iii. Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, electronically, by phone, in person], and inwriting, 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. iv. 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. v. 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. vi. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology. Preferred Experience: 1 year or more of experience with the management of orders. 2 or more years of customer service or receptionist experience. 3 or more years experience scheduling diagnostic imaging appointments. 4 or more years experience scheduling mammography appointments. 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: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, pulling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.
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