The incumbent is assigned to the Ambulatory and Emergency Care Clinical Center (AECCC) at the VA Maryland Healthcare Systems at the following locations: Loch Haven VAMC and Cambridge VAMC (travel is required for Cambridge location). The Advance Medical Support Assistants is responsible for the administrative support of the clinical services to include; Primary Care, Dermatology, Women's Health and various Specialty Clinics located in the Community Based Outpatient Clinics.

Duties

The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) at this grade level is at the Advanced level. The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (MSA) works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model (Patient Aligned Care Team) and/or Specialty clinics. The AMSA at this level works independently and is considered the chief source of patient information and plays an important role in accomplishing the administrative work within the outpatient clinics by the duties listed below: Scheduling appointments in accordance with VHA Directive 1230 and VHA Directive 1232 (2); including canceling, re-scheduling, and no showing patient appointments and/or consults. Daily review of consults (active/pending), Recall List (Delinquent), Return to Clinic Orders (Query from VS GUI) and View Alerts for accurate disposition. Ensuring appropriate patient actions are taken within VS GUI (scheduling, check-in, check-out, and no- shows). Extracting medical information from electronic records when requested by Providers, Social Workers, Nurses, and Supervisors while maintaining HIPPA standards. Receiving and directing patients and visitors, in person and by telephone, answering routine inquiries, and making appropriate referral of questions concerning patients' care. Relaying test results to appropriate medical staff to include recognizing and referring urgent results to the professional staff for immediate action. Verify and update patient demographics to include capturing of insurance data. Ensuring patient encounters are completed for clinics assigned by the end of each business day (no- shows and patient cancellations through AudioCare, VeText, etc.). Monitoring and maintaining the delinquent recall, insurance capture buffer exception list and proper use of Vet Link for clinics assigned. Coordinate patient transportation and/or travel concerns with the Veterans Transportation Service and Bene-Travel Staff. Providing information of medical center policies and procedures. Notifies Supervisor when clinic access is less than desirable or if an individual patient cannot be scheduled within mandated clinic timeframes. m. Responsible for the tracking and management of consults for clinics assigned. Responsible for providing feedback to providers when additional information for scheduling is required. Ensuring that consults greater than 90 days have proper documentation for additional scheduling attempts or dispositioning directed by the provider. Other Duties as Assigned. Work Schedule: Mon-Fri 800am-4:30pm Travel: Cambridge location requires occasional travel to Pocomoke VAMC for coverage as needed Remote: This is not a remote position Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

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: 1. Experience. 12 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 Certification: None required. 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. Grade Determinations: Advance Medical Support Assistant GS-6 Grade Level: Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the [GS-5] grade level. Experience is defined as experience that includes, but is not limited to: scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient's appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring the electronic wait list; preparing for clinic visits; monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments for areas of responsibility; ensuring encounter forms are completed in order to obtain appropriate workload credit; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information; processing all emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals; performing basic eligibility, co-pays and pre-authorization requirements for specific coverage (i.e., TRICARE, sharing agreements, etc.). Candidates must also be able to demonstrate the following Knowledge, skills, and abilities for the GS-0679-6 level to qualify for this position: 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 Dated: August 1, 2019.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-6 to GS-6. Physical Requirements: VA Directive and Handbook 5019.Work is partially sedentary, with frequent walking, standing, bending. carrying of light items such as papers and books, or small parts. Some slight physical effort may be required. Incumbent may be susceptible to eyestrain from working long hours on the computer. Work Environment: Work is performed primarily in a patient care setting; adequately lighted, temperature controlled, and ventilated. Office temperatures fluctuate periodically; involves everyday risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of such places as clinics, offices, meeting and training rooms or libraries; exposure to noise and dust on occasion. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders; Emotional and Mental Stability: The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as annual TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment.

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.

Contacts

• Address VA Maryland Health Care System 10 North Greene Street Baltimore, MD 21201 US
• Name: Tania Hopson
• Phone: 404-417-5442
• Email: [email protected]