Advanced Medical Support Assistant

Summary Selectees from this announcement could be considered for ANY of the areas throughout the Pittsburgh facility and it's Community Based Outpatient Clinics where Medical Support Assistants are utilized. Individual announcements will not be posted. This announcement will be used to fill ANY open Medical Support Assistant vacancies for up to 90 days after closing. Applicants will be referred as vacancies become available. Responsibilities 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. Advanced MSAs are essential to the success of this mission and may be assigned to many areas (service lines) of the medical center that have a need. Some of the major duties of this position include, and are not limited to : Answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit. Scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and / or consults, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. Entering no-show information. Monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; 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.). Recommends changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines. 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. Develop and / or maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies. 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; 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. Work Schedule : 9 : 00am to 5 : 30pm Compressed / Flexible : Not Available Telework : May Be Eligible based upon Medical Center Policy Virtual : This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement # : 000000 Relocation / Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report : Not required 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). 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. Experience and Education. 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. 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).Grade Determinations Advanced Medical Support Assistant GS-06 : In addition to the basic requirements, you must meet the specialized experience for the grade. Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. Experience includes, but is not limited to : Answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit; Scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and / or consults, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines; Entering no-show information; monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; Participating in huddles with other MSAs and / or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic; 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.). AND 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. References : VA Handbook 5005 / 117, Part II, Appendix G45, MSA Qualification Standard Physical Requirements : Work is performed in an office setting and is primarily sedentary. May require lifting and carrying of light loads (e.g.files, records etc.). Resume Reminder : Your resume must include the following for each job listed : 1) Job title and grade level / salary. In order to show that you meet the experience requirements, you must document grades you have held and how long you have held them; 2) Duties (you must include enough detailed information to support your specialized experience 3) Month, day and year start / end dates (e.g. 04 / 02 / 2019 to 04 / 13 / 2020) 4) Hours worked per week for all jobs listed. 5) Full Name and address of Employer 6) Name of Supervisor or Contact name 7) Complete phone number of Supervisor / Contact 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 : 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 : Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.