This Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) position is within the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System located in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Duties

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant Ward clerk works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model and performs receptionist duties, customer service and other duties assigned for the proper and timely treatment of veterans. The AMSA Ward clerk provides administrative support for inpatient units and those presenting to the emergency room. The duties of the Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) may include but are not limited to: Notifies the supervisor when clinic access is less than desirable or if an individual patient cannot be admitted, discharged, or scheduled within mandated time frames. Coordinates administrative services for Veterans, family members, caregivers, and public, administrative, and clinical staff to ensure continuity of inpatient care. Develops and maintains effective working relationships with all clinical and administrative staff in determining priorities of activities in support of direct patient care. Performs duties to manage and plan patient care. Sets priorities and deadlines. Adjust the flow and sequence of the work to meet team and patient needs. Shares information and collaborates with the medical team to assure continuity of care. Develops and maintains effective and efficient communication with interdisciplinary teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies (e.g., assist with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge; notification to other VA facilities for traveling Veterans. Completes patient movement transactions and associated fields of the Patient Treatment file per VHA regulations when instructed by professional staff. Provides guidance to incoming staff at the full performance level, developmental performance level and below. Evaluates patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether patient is vested. Educates providers about shared patients (those who receive their care at multiple VAs or those who have care in the community) and brings to the attention of the provider. Coordinates appointments, including interpreting, and verifying, and completing (if appropriate) provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines and regulations. Schedules appointments per clinic set-up and does not overbook or book out of sequence without proper authority from a supervisor or order placed in CPRS. Applies policies and procedures associated with operational activities that effect workload data. Provides administrative support to one or more inpatient wards and the main hospital emergency room. Integral member of the team to effectively conduct day-to-day administrative operations relating to hospital admissions and discharges. Responsible for accurate appointment management. Coordinates all administrative information between the professional staff and the patient. Receives telephone calls and visitors to the area of assignment (i.e., inpatients, families, and friends of patients). Queries callers to obtain pertinent information necessary to determine the primary need and area of interest Aids or makes referrals to other staff members, various departments/care lines, and/or patient services such as patient travel, notification of appointment, etc. Determines the nature and responds to inquiries from patients concerning a variety of medical, personal, and administrative matters. Refers medical questions concerning patient's condition, progress, or treatment to the nurse and/or physician. Pages physicians/clinicians when requested and refers telephone messages pertaining to such things as laboratory reports, x-rays, and other test results to physicians or nurses. Recognizes and refers urgent messages to the professional staff for immediate actions. Coordinates in-patients' appointments to ensure timely arrival to appointments and treatments. Serves as a frontline resource for bed management systems (BMS) in the patient care setting. Works in Ward Administration which includes Inpatient Medicine, Surgery, Mental Health wards, Residential Treatment, Emergency Room, Community Living Center, and Blind Rehabilitation Center. Works closely with the Supervisory MSA, Bed Management System Coordinator, Patient Care Service Coordinator, Nurse Managers, Associate Nurse Executive, Unit Charge Nurses, Clinical Care Coordinator (CCC) and Administrative Officers of the Day (AOD) in providing administrative support to clinical staff. Knowledge of enrollment eligibility when working in the emergency room. Work Schedule: Multiple schedules available; will be discussed upon interview Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #:520-00406-F 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. Certification. None required. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. English Language Proficiency. Medical Support Assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Policy. 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 work is mostly sedentary. It typically requires sitting with sustained periods of concentration. There will be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light objects. The position may also require stooping, reaching, lifting, pulling, and other moderate exertion or strain. May occasionally have to walk some distance to a meeting.

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 Biloxi VA Medical Center 400 Veterans Avenue Biloxi, MS 39531 US
• Name: Cynthia McLeod
• Phone: (757) 749-4965
• Email: [email protected]