These positions fall under various healthcare service lines within VA Central Western Mass Healthcare System. Most shifts are scheduled during the day but some shifts could be evenings, nights, and include weekends/holidays. Medical Support Assistants (Advanced) may work tours other than their regular scheduled tour, including working evenings, nights, weekends/holidays to cover shortages or high patient volume. Shift changes will be considered based on patient and facility needs.

Duties

These positions serve as a Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) at VA Central Western Mass Healthcare System. Position is responsible for a wide range of assignments and provides administrative support to the assigned section. Duties may include, but are not limited to: Supports clinics regarding clinic profile management. Collects and updates insurance information from Veterans, family members and other eligible patients. Prepares correspondence and memos as needed. Screens/receive phone calls in a courteous and timely manner, determine the nature of request and provide the information desired using privacy rules and established clinic processes. Ensures data is entered into VISTA accurately and scans documents into VISTA Imaging within 24 hours of entering the data into VISTA if applicable. Promotes Veterans registration for and utilization of MyHealthyVet (MHV) and kiosks usage. Follows procedures regarding Community Care referrals. Serves as the initial point of contact for units, clinics, patients, call centers, Care in the Community regarding various aspects of patient appointments and referrals. Enters Veterans seeking emergent/urgent care, scheduling appointments accurately. Pre-Registers Veterans during check-in and utilizing call lists and telephones Veterans before their scheduled visits. Incumbent updates all patient demographics. Communicates and interacts with patients in a manner which is appropriate to cognitive, emotional, and chronological maturation needs of the adult and/or geriatric patient. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, day shift hours, To Be Determined Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Remote: Not Authorized Telework/Virtual: Not Authorized Position Title/Functional Statement #: Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)/F01391 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Notifications: THIS OPEN & CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT (OCA) ESTABLISHES A STANDING REGISTER OF ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS, which closes on 04/02/2024. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be on or about November 2, 2023 with subsequent reviews every other week as additional vacancies occur, or on an as-needed basis, until positions are filled. Please see the "What To Expect Next" area of the announcement which provides additional information on the referral process for this type of announcement. These positions are NAGE Bargaining Unit positions. Current Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. Do not submit an award SF-50. This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay. Applicants may be referred over for consideration prior to the close date of this announcement. There may not be a vacancy at a listed location. Applicants for those locations will be added to our applicant pool if one should occur.

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. Education or Experience: One year above high school; OR 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 Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. English Language Proficiency: Medical Support Assistants appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English. Grandfathering Provision: All MSAs employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, which are a part of the basic requirements for the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:(1) Such employees may be reassigned, promoted or changed to a lower grade within the occupation.(2) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of this standard.(3) If an employee was converted to Title 38 hybrid status under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. Grade Determinations: Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) GS-06: Experience: One (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in Federal service (GS-05). Experience includes: Clinic experience in a hospital or doctor's office setting to include scheduling a high volume of appointments annually. High level customer service skills as evidenced by daily interaction and communication with clinicians, patients, families and coworkers. Evidence of work in a clinic setting with multiple inputs (in person, telephone, instant message communications) that need timely and professional resolution. Evidence of specific computer scheduling programs or software utilized in a clinic or hospital. And Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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 Medical Support Assistant Qualification Standard GS-0679, dated August 1, 2019. http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/Directives-Handbooks/Documents/5005.pdf . This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. Physical Requirements: The work requires some physical exertion such as prolonged periods of standing, bending, reaching, crouching, stooping, stretching, and lifting moderately heavy items such as papers, books, manuals, record boxes and boxes of computer paper. Computers are used and therefore keyboarding is required. The work includes walking from area to area when covering for other employees. Applicant may at times be exposed to stressful situations with Veterans.

Education

Substitution of Education: There is no educational substitution for the GS-06 level.

Contacts

• Address Northampton VA Medical Center 421 North Main Street Leeds, MA 01053 US
• Name: Alisha Le Blanc
• Email: [email protected]