This position is located in Health Administration Service (HAS) at the James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center or Community Based Outpatient Clinics under its direction. The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) is responsible for performing a variety of technical support duties that facilitate the work of physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nursing assistants, and other members of the medical facility who provide direct patient care.

Duties

Major duties include, but may not be limited to: Lead MSA Functions Monitors MSA Staff to assist with evaluation and ensure following facility policy/procedure Monitors staff to ensure adherence to VHA Directives 1230 and 1232 for scheduling and consult management in their entirety Ensure accurate and timely scheduling of appointments by facility schedulers (MSA and Non-MSA staff). Generates reports from VSSC and other scheduling resources Monitors various reports to ensure performance measures are met, including but not limited to test and deceased report, RTC order report, patient centered scheduling, consult management, clinic availability action report, encounter action required report, VA on-line scheduling report. Prepares monthly Access Committee reports and obtains Chief, HAS concurrence prior to submission. Assists MSA Supervisors with completion of daily and monthly scheduling audits. Provides statistics related to MSA functions to Chief, HAS as requested in a timely and accurate manner. Completes daily, weekly, and monthly reports for MSA functions in the Medical Center and CBOC locations. Responsible for coordination of activities with MSA Supervisors to ensure workflow and workload are processed timely. Provides input to Supervisory MSA staff for performance review for 3-6 GS level MSAs. Basic Functions Assisting Veterans through management of outpatient and inpatient appointments following VHA Directives 1230 and 1232 for scheduling and consult management. Complete scheduler training as outlined in the Directive and maintain skills through completion of TMS courses as assigned. Promote Veteran satisfaction by resolving Veteran concerns applying first call resolution practices. Schedule patient appointments by interpreting and verifying provider orders such as Return to Clinic (RTC) orders, Patient Centered Scheduling "recall" requests, consults, New Enrollee Appointment Requests (NEAR) and other order sources. Schedules future appointments in accordance with provider clinic profiles, Advanced Clinic Access principles, and input from the patient. Generate and provide After Visit Summary for patient following exit with provider Canceling and rescheduling appointment requests Completing no-show process including documenting, marking the appointment as a no-show and rescheduling. Managing provider scheduling grids by accurately blocking clinics for scheduled and unscheduled provider leave, training, and meetings. Ensuring encounter forms are completed in order to obtain appropriate workload credit and provide open encounter reports for clinicians to obtain workload credit. Verifying and updating demographics including temporary addresses, insurance information, and sharing caregiver information. Insurance Capture Buffer (ICB) action complete with every patient check-in Protecting patient personal and health information following yearly HIPPA and Privacy training. Compliance with Privacy Policy Preparing for clinic visits, by requesting and receiving records and lab results for provider review prior to appointment; monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments for team/teamlet or specialty providers Develops and maintains rapport with patients and members of the interdisciplinary team by applying Own the Moment, ICARE, and a helpful and professional attitude. Adhere to communication scripts for direct scheduling Effectively communicates, both verbally and in writing with internal and external sources. Receives and relays a high volume of incoming and outgoing communication via telephone, fax, and email, from patients, staff and outside sources concerning a variety of medical, personnel, and administrative matters. Determines the nature of the inquiry and independently responds or routes to appropriate clinical staff in a timely manner appropriate to the urgency of the correspondence. Performs other duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 / Lead MSA - HAS 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 and skills needed to perform the duties of the position; OR, Education: One year above high school; 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: MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.j. Grade Determinations: Lead Medical Support Assistant, GS-7 Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-6 grade level (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.). Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Advanced knowledge of medical terminology and a wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and/or community resources. Ability to utilize numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics in an interdisciplinary setting. Ability to organize work, set priorities, and delegate tasks/responsibilities in order to meet deadlines. Skill in communicating with individuals to obtain the desired effect and coordinating with a variety of interdisciplinary care team staff. Ability to provide staff development and training. Ability to manage staffing requirements, manage workflow priorities, and adjust the flow of work to meet team and patient needs. This includes the ability to follow-up on pending issues and demonstrate an understanding of the impact of incomplete work across multiple clinics. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005, PART II, APPENDIX G45 Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary with long periods of sitting at a desk, working with computers daily, may require light lifting.

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 James E Van Zandt VA Medical Center 2907 Pleasant Valley Boulevard Altoona, PA 16602 US
• Name: Andrea Vick
• Phone: 5736731031
• Email: [email protected]