Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) Government - Salem, VA at Geebo

Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Advanced Medical Support Assistants play a critical role in the efficiency of our Medical Center and have a huge impact on the Veteran's experience. 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. Incumbent receives telephone calls including those from seriously ill patients or their family members. Incumbent receives and opens incoming correspondence, screening items to be handled personally and appropriately forwards or establishes suspense files for those items requiring later action by staff. The incumbent receives visitors to the HBPC office, including patients, family members, representatives of companies and facilities and various other staff members. Incumbent maintains an active database of HBPC patients and assigned case managers. Assists with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge; Incumbent assembles, prepares, and submits patient visit logs, reports of staff time, patient admissions, discharges, and encounter forms. Incumbent prepares all travel and/or tuition requests and all related vouchers when needed. The assistant also maintains appointment schedules for HBPC program staff. This may include setting up meetings, conferences, room reservations, assembling files, and information prior to meetings. The incumbent serves as primary timekeeper for the HBPC and Community Health staff. Work Schedule:
VARIOUS SHIFTS - MUST BE WILLING TO WORK EVENINGS, SOME HOLIDAYS, EVERY OTHER WEEKEND Financial Disclosure Report:
Not required 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 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. Grade Determinations:
Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-6 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. Examples of experience include:
Effectively use good business practices to provide total quality service to all customers. Skills in diplomacy, strong interpersonal skills and the ability to develop effective working relationships with a broad range of individuals. Work independently and efficiently under pressure and to organize, plan and prioritize work. Communicate both in writing and verbally by telephone and in person. Comprehensive knowledge of VA policies, procedures, objectives and regulations pertaining to the operation of patient care programs and their interrelationships to appropriately advise professional and administrative staff, as well as veterans, on the administrative policies relating to the program, especially the HBPC Policy and its attachments. Assignment. 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. Recommends 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). For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty), 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. 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 Physical Requirements:
Must pass a pre-employment TB test.
  • Department:
    0679 Medical Support Assistance
  • Salary Range:
    $38,921 to $50,598 per year

Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.

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