The Advanced Medical Support Assistants (MSAs), serves at the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System.

Duties

This vacancy announcement establishes an "Open Continuous Announcement" for eligible applicants to be considered for this position. We utilize Open Continuous announcements to accept applications in anticipation of vacancies. Extended announcements provide us a readily available source of applicants when vacancies do occur and are approved. If a vacancy does not occur for the location and grade for which you are qualified and apply, no further notification concerning the announcement will be provided. All application packages remain eligible for consideration for 90 days after submission to the announcement. To remain eligible for consideration beyond 90 days, a new application submission is required to indicate your continued interest. 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. 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. Major duties include but are not limited to: - Scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient's appointments and/or consults within the Community - Monitoring calls from internal and external customers via the Automatic call distribution (ACD). - Entering no-show information - Preparing for clinic visits - Ensuring encounter forms are completed - Monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments for areas of responsibility - Verifying and updating demographics and insurance information - Processing of all emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals - Performing basic eligibility, co-pays and preauthorization requirements for specific coverage - Routinely communicates with physicians, case managers and other allied health professional staff using sound interpersonal skills - Other duties as assigned in support of Covid-19 operations for example entrance screening duties Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:00pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Notifications: This position is in the Excepted Service Due to a critical staffing shortage, 38 U.S.C. § 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference for this job announcement. Current and former 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 This position is a Bargaining Unit position. This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay. VA Offers a comprehensive total rewards package: 2023 Total Reward$ of a MSA VA Career Flyer.pdf (sharepoint.com) TOTAL REWARD$ OF A VA CAREER: Total Rewards (sharepoint.com)

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. 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, and 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. 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 and 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 and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. 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: GS-06 (Advanced MSA): Experience: Applicants must have one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05). Experience at the GS-5 level is experience operating computerized programs and systems in order to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient identifying information (PII) into or from electronic health records, scheduling systems, and/or reports; advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients; ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting; ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties [performing patient support work; ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone, with internal and external customers; skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution. In addition to meeting basic requirements and experience at the next lower grade as described above, you must also demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): 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. References: VA Handbook 5005/53, Part II, Appendix G45, Medical Support Assistant Qualification Standard- http://www.va.gov/ohrm/joblistings/VAQualStds.docThe full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-6. Preferred Experience: Experience scheduling and coordinating appointments for patients with various clinics, ensuring all treatment requested by the physician has been scheduled, and rescheduling appointments when necessary; coordinating appointments schedules with other clinics in order to avoid conflicts; ensuring appointments are timely and in accordance with physicians' requests; monitoring pre-appointment requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure (e.g., X-ray, lab work); entering appropriate information into the electronic record; managing electronic wait list to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues; providing information via telephone and in person to the general public, members of the professional staff, patients, and other medical center personnel in response to inquiries regarding appointments; managing a tracking system for follow up care such as consults, tests, etc.; setting priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs; preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels; researching and providing guidance on policies and procedures associated with operational activities that affect the patient flow, patient care, and the revenue process; providing input in problem solving on operational issues or procedures in team meetings, performing administrative follow up actions. Applicant must demonstrate competence in scheduling transactions by successfully completing mandatory scheduling training as defined by VHA Physical Requirements: The work requires frequent standing bending, reaching and walking. The work requires light lifting and carrying under 15 lbs. Must have full manual dexterity and keyboarding skills. This may be considered demanding physical activity.

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 Central Alabama VA Medical Center-Montgomery 215 Perry Hill Road Montgomery, AL 36109 US
• Name: Tina Winkfield
• Email: [email protected]