Serving as a Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) in VISN 17's Clinical Contact Center which includes serving as part of an inter-professional healthcare team providing support across multiple ancillary & inter-professional clinics & determining the needs of the Veteran/caregiver. Playing an integral role in achieving first-contact resolution through Veteran-centered delivery of care & providing information on programs/initiatives available to Veterans.

Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to: Providing specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an inter-professional 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. Working collaboratively with VISN programs, services, and inter-professional coordinated care team members to provide access to care and meet the needs of Veterans via various available contact modalities to include but not limited to telephone calls, secure messaging, chat, text messaging and video. Responsible for answering telephones, secure messages and chat messages, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the VISN CCC, scheduling appointments, interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. Recommending changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines. Scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults Entering no-show information Monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources Gathering and obtaining medical information from patients Processing medication refill requests Reviewing electronic health record Obtaining medical records Participating in huddles with other MSAs and/or VISN CCC staff to determine the daily needs of the VISN CCC Monitoring outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility Verifying and updating demographics when contacted by patients Managing patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolving issues Evaluating patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether the patient requires an immediate appointment Informing inter-professional team members about shared patients (i.e.)., those who receive their care at multiple VA centers or those who receive care in the community Other related duties may be assigned Work Schedule: Fulltime, Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or rotating shifts; weekends, holidays and evenings since CCC is a 365-day 24/7 operation. Telework: Available per agency policy Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 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: Experience. Six months experience of clerical, office, customer service, or other administrative work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge & skills needed to perform the duties of the position; OR Education. One year above high school; OR Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience & education are qualifying for entry level for which both education & experience are acceptable. Certification: None required. 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 & grade held, which are a part of the basic requirements of 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 the standard. (3) If an employee who was converted to Title 38 hybrid status under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status & must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. 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 & such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs. English Language Proficiency: MSAs must be proficient in spoken & written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.j. Grade Determination: Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) GS-6 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: Ability to collaborate & 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 & 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 & regulations. Ability to communicate tactfully & effectively, electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing, with internal & external customers. This may include preparing reports in various formats & 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 &/or care in the community models & patient health care portals) as it relates to access to care. Advanced knowledge of policies & procedures associated with interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery &/or care in the community operational activities that affect patient flow & 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. Preferred Experience: One year experience receiving and making telephone calls in a call center environment One year experience scheduling patients in a medical appointment software in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model One year experience with medical terminology in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model One year experience managing patient communications in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model (e.g. telephone and/or e-mail) One year experience with documenting appropriate information into an electronic medical record Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.

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.

NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

Contacts

• Address VA TX Valley Coastal Bend HCS 2601 Veterans Drive Harlingen, TX 78550 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]