The incumbent serves as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant assigned to a Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) model, in Primary Care, Mental health, Specialty Care Setting, Inpatient Ward, and Eligibility and Enrollments. The PACT team let is a primary care team that generally consists of a primary care provider (MD, NP, PA), registered nurse care manager, clinical associate (LPN or medical assistant/health technician) and an administrative associate (MNMSA/health technician).

Duties

Major Duties: Coordinates with the patient care team to review the clinic utilization by using various reports, ensure that the clinic setup is closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinic, and make any necessary adjustments Develop/maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary team, VA medical centers, and other agencies Participates in team huddles and team meetings to manage and plan patient care; setting priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs; may work with the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions and entering appropriate information into the electronic record; monitoring pre-appointment requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure; participating in and independently following up on team huddles by sharing information and collaborating with the medical team to assure continuity of care Managing electronic wait list to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues Provides input in problem solving on operational issues or procedures in team meetings Perform administrative follow up actions 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 bringing to the attention of the provider Responsible for coordinating patient care by interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines Evaluates clinics and providers schedules to schedule Veterans' accurately and within the requested timeframe upon discharge from inpatient care Provides support, maintaining effective and efficient communication to the interdisciplinary teams, nursing staff, patients, family members, VA medical centers, and other agencies. (e.g. assisting with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge; facilitate/process secure messaging with the outpatient clinics to ensure timely and appropriate scheduling of Veterans' for follow up care in different PACT clinics and other specialty clinics throughout the VHA, etc.) Schedules, cancels, re-schedules patient's appointments and/or consults Facilitates and assist with patient travel activities Monitors both inpatient and outpatient appointments; ensuring admissions, transfers, and discharges are complete Accurately interprets eligibility requirements in order to make eligibility determination to ensure that Veterans and beneficiaries meet legal/contractual requirements for medical care Verifies and updates demographics and insurance information Gives advisory and technical assistance to all applicable customers regarding eligibility and enrollment service, programs and activities Processes all emergency and non-emergency transfers to the other VA facilities and non-VA hospitals and facilities Communicates pertinent information to patients, co-workers and clinical staff member; provides clerical support to include, but not limited to preparing/mailing letters, placing phone calls, printing labels/armbands, maintaining/updating rosters and phone lists, and running various reports Accurately processing all patient movements to include inter-ward transfers, discharges, return absent sick, authorized absents 96 hrs. pass; screens for administrative and medical documentation (i.e. advance directive screening note; organ donations screening notes; preregistration information) Use the following programs to ensure the above duties are completed in a timely manner; CPRS, VISTA, VISTA Scheduling, VCM, Microsoft word, Microsoft teams, Morning Report, ICB, Message manager, and When to Work, and Outlook Performs other duties as they may be required Plans and organizes work with general assistance from the supervisor as to meet local and VA-wide time frames to complete analysis requirements, reports and special assignments and only refers to the non-routine and high technical problems to his/her supervisor Responsible for reporting backlogs, difficulties in meeting deadlines, uncooperative physicians, or difficulty in securing information from clinicians or the record Responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of information obtained to carry out required duties Works independently making decisions based on guidelines, precedents and regulations and performs duties in such a manner that only minimal supervision is required Work Schedule: Monday - Friday: Nights & Weekends, Irregular Tours: 07:30-16:00; 08:00-16:30. Telework: Available - as determined by the 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 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. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: Applicant must meet the Basic Requirement, the Specialized Experience, AND demonstrate all the required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities in this announcement. Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-0679-06: Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. Qualifying Experience includes but may not be limited to: MSA independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting. Advises clinical staff on current administrative processes. The MSA is responsible for answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit, scheduling appointments, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: scheduling, canceling, rescheduling patient appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; participating in huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic, monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when patients check-in for appointments. Coordinates administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals and determines appointment type based on the patient's eligibility status (i.e., TRICARE, sharing agreements, collaterals, research patient, VA employee, etc.). Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: 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. 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.). References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/117, PART II, APPENDIX G45; APPENDIX G45. MEDICAL SUPPORT ASSISTANT QUALIFICATION STANDARDGS-0679, Veterans Health Administration The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-06. 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 Audie L Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital 7400 Merton Minter Boulevard San Antonio, TX 78229 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]