Advanced Medical Support Assistant

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) is assigned to the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System (VASNHCS) Community Care (CC) Referral Coordination Team (RCT). The RCT consists of dedicated clinical staff and clinical support staff whose primary goal is to streamline the referral process to ensure that every Veteran has a complete picture of their care options so they can make the most informed care decisions and schedule their appointment in VA or the community.

Responsibilities include: working collaboratively with the RCT members, facility community care program, the Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT) and Specialty Care clinicians, and other staff within VA and outside VA; contacting the patient and discussing options for internal/direct VA care vs. Community Care (when eligible); documenting the discussion in the electronic medical record; prioritizing calls and making decisions based on caller needs, handing off calls to the RCT Nurses for patients/callers that potentially have an emergent or urgent care need, as well as resolving non-urgent needs; using advanced interpersonal skills in order to effectively understand patient's needs, assess possible courses of action and take appropriate measures to ensure patient satisfaction; preparing, composing, and reviewing outgoing correspondence for the purpose of obtaining or supplying information; displaying a cooperative attitude and effectively working together to implement the organization's mission and goals; protecting printed and electronic files containing sensitive data in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 and other applicable laws, Federal regulations, VA statutes and policy, and VHA policy; performing other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm

Telework: Available- Ad Hoc (as determined by office policies)

Functional Statement #: FS# 654-00123-F

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).

Qualifications Basic Requirements:

United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.g.

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.

Experience: Six (6) 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 (1) 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.

GS-6 Grade Determinations:

In addition to the Basic Requirements for employment listed above, the following education and experience criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates for Advanced Medical Support Assistant GS-6:

a. Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. In addition to one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 MSA, candidates must demonstrate all the KSA's 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 healthcare process including, but not limited to, scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community models and patient healthcare 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.

Preferred Experience: 1 year experience navigating electronic medical records system. 1 year experience providing customer service to internal and external customers in the healthcare field. Familiarity with medical terminology. Familiarity with Microsoft Office programs, to include Outlook, Teams, Excel, Word, and SharePoint.