This Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) - Float position is in the Medical Administration Service of the Alexandria VA Health Care System located in Pineville, LA.

Duties

This Advanced Medical Support Assistant - Float (AMSA) position is in the Medical Administration Service of the Alexandria VA Health Care System (AVAHCS). The AMSA Serves as and provides clerical and administrative support for multiple Clinical Departments. This Position provides support to Primary Care Outpatient, Specialty Care, Intake and Eligibility, Clinical Contact Center, Mental Health, the Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) and Community Care. The AVAHCS offers A full range of acute and chronic care services for Veterans residing in the South-Central Louisiana area. Services include, but not limited to; mental health, surgery, psychiatry, rehabilitative medicine, long term care, Women's health, blind rehabilitation, mental health, substance abuse, and services for the seriously mental ill and a Community Living Center. There are numerous specialty clinics and laboratories. Travel will be required 50% of the time to the CBOCs, to provide coverage and other duties as needed within the scope of the AMSA, special projects and train within different areas when needed. The duties of the Advanced Medical Support Assistant - Float include but are not limited to: Interpreting and verifying provider orders according to the VHA national scheduling guidelines Scheduling, canceling, and re-scheduling patients' appointments and/or consults Scheduling new enrollees' appointments Processing registrations upon completion of eligibility review Entering no show information Monitoring the electronic wait list Preparing for clinic visits Monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments for areas of responsibility Ensuring that encounter forms are completes in order to obtain appropriate workload credit Verifying and updating demographics and insurance information Monitoring the status and progress of work, and makes day-to-day adjustments Providing information via telephone and in person to the general public, professional staff, civilian, and military personnel Participates in team huddles and team meetings to manage and plan patient care Works with the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions Informs and educates providers about shared patients Contacts patients to coordinate follow-up care Entering, and retrieving information and data from the clinical information systems as appropriate Completing requested forms, manually or using automated systems Processes individual patient orders for blood work, X-rays, radiation therapy, respiratory or ventilated care consults Explaining necessary test preparation to patients Obtaining and reviews medical records of patients prior to scheduled appointments Assures proper completion and filling original medical documentation and forms Ensures patient completes all necessary forms prior to being seen by the provider Plans and carries out successive steps to work assignments and independently Handles scheduling problems and deviations based upon personal knowledge of clinic operations Plans and carries out day-to-day operations of the office Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:00pm or 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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. (1) 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, (2) Education. One year above high school; OR, (3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. Certification. None required. English Language Proficiency. Medical Support Assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Policy. 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. To qualify for the GS-06 level, your resume must demonstrate you possess the required experience necessary to possess the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) required for the grade. Be specific when describing the job duties that demonstrate you possess the KSAs listed. Resume must include hours per week for work experience credit. Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-06 (a) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level. To qualify for this position, you must demonstrate in your resume that you have experience that includes: Entering, modifying, retrieving sensitive information into or from electronic health records, scheduling systems, and/or reports; Scheduling medical appointments in a clinical setting; Performing patient support work; Providing customer service and identifying patient concerns to ensure satisfactory resolution; Advanced level of medical terminology. (b) 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.). (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition, you must demonstrate ALL of the following KSAs in your resume: 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 VA Qualification Standard for Medical Support Assistant, GS-0679. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. Physical Requirements: The majority of work is performed in an office setting, primarily while seated. The position requires some standing, ambulation, bending and carrying of items such as training manuals. In addition, there can be increased stress due to the intensity of the call volume or due to a patient complaint/concern.

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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs.

Contacts

• Address Alexandria VA Medical Center 2495 Shreveport Highway Pineville, LA 71360 US
• Name: Susie Bryan
• Phone: 918-348-9281
• Email: [email protected]