The incumbent serves as a Lead Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) in Care in the Community (CITC) at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center in Martinsburg, WV. The incumbent's work impacts the administrative aspect of patient care, including access, scheduling/coordinating appointments using advanced clinic access principles, collecting, and updating demographic and insurance information, patient processing and customer service.

Duties

Coordinates all Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA)assignments and workflow in unit. Assists with complex and non-standard procedures. Assures coverage of all areas of responsibility; conducting ongoing reviews to ensure quality of work. Provides guidance to staff members to include changes in policies and procedures; Ensures all training requirements are met. Organize the work structure of assigned areas to resolve day to day conflicts. Intervenes to resolve difficult problems. Serves as technical advisor and liaison with contacts at all levels. Explains complex regulations and eligibility criteria concerning veteran entitlements and VA benefits. Able to work in a busy environment, multi-task, lead, and organize a large group of staff to produce results, ensure compliance, as well as efficient processes and follow-up on a very high volume of phone calls or written requests from patients inquiring about appointments. Work requires a high degree of judgment, fact-finding, and coordination with people at various levels patients, management and vendors. Plans and organizes work 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 the 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. Routinely communicates with physicians, case managers, and other allied health professional staff using sound interpersonal skills and is constantly aware of the sensitive information. Works independently making decisions based on guidelines, precedents and regulations and performs duties in such a manner that only minimal supervision is required. Communicates and treats all internal and external customers veterans, their representatives, visitors, vendors and all VA staff in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner. Provide customers with consistent information according to established policies and procedures and handles conflicts and problems in dealing with the customer constructively and appropriately. Able to effectively communicate proactively, under stressful situations with sometimes angry, hostile, dissatisfied patients and/or family members. Assigned duties in a manner that promotes quality health care, outstanding customer service, and maintenance of an environment committed to serving the veteran. Provide care and/or services appropriate to the age of the patients being served, and which is appropriate to the cognitive; emotional, and chronological maturation of the patient. Assesses data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to their age-specific needs and to provide care needed as described in the services' policies and procedures. Assists clients to plan for anticipated changes in life, to recognize the risk factors related to health, and to focus on strengths rather than weaknesses. Assist clients to keep physically and socially active, and to maintain peer group interactions. Assist clients to cope with loss and dealing with one's own mortality. Provide necessary safety measures. Assist clients with self-care as required, and with maintaining as much independence as possible. Responsible for protecting information for unauthorized release, loss, alteration, or unauthorized deletion. Required to follow applicable regulations, instructions, and security agreements regarding access to computerized files and protection of access codes. Uses word processing software to execute several office automation functions such as storing and retrieving electronic documents and files; activating printers; inserting and deleting text, formatting letters, reports, and memoranda; and transmitting and receiving e mail. Uses the Veterans Health Information and Technology Architecture (VistA) or other software to access information in the Medical Center Computer System Safety. Reports safety hazards, accidents and injuries. Reviews hazardous materials/Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)/waste management. Follows security policies/procedures. Complies with federal, state and local environmental and other requirements preventing pollution, minimizing waste, and conserving cultural and natural resources. Demonstrates infection control practices for disease prevention (e.g., hand washing, universal precautions/isolation procedures, including TB requirement/precautions. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday - 08:00am - 04:30pm Telework: Not Available 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

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: Citizenship. All applicants are required to be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g.) Experience and Education. (1) 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 (2) Education. One year above high school; OR (3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. Physical Requirements. The work is mostly sedentary and is performed in an office setting. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.j. Grade Requirements. a. Creditable Experience (1) Knowledge of Medical Support Assistant Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with current Medical Support Assistant responsibilities or an equivalent administrative patient support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment as [an] MSA or [an equivalent position in a non-VA hospital or clinic setting]. (2) Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to Medical Support Assistant experience or equivalent administrative clinical support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting at the next lower grade level. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty), and a range of varieties as described in this standard, at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. (3) Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as an Medical Support Assistant or equivalent administrative patient support in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, an Medical Support Assistant employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive one full-time workweek of credit for each two weeks of service. Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following education and experience criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Lead Medical Support Assistant, GS-7 a. Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-6 grade level. b. Assignment. The Lead Medical Support Assistant is responsible for the coordination of Advanced Medical Support Assistants, assignments and workflow found in an interdisciplinary unit. The Lead Medical Support Assistant is responsible for daily workload assessments, assigning work, and assuring proper staffing coverage; evaluating training records; and determining training needs of Medical Support Assistants to provide support across interdisciplinary settings. The Lead Medical Support Assistant assists the unit with complex and non-standard procedures, including clinical flow processes related to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and/or community resources. Assignments at this level include but are not limited to: ensuring accurate and timely scheduling of appointments; providing guidance to staff members, to include changes in policies and procedures; creating and maintaining employee work schedules; and acting as a liaison among Advanced Medical Support Assistant, staff, patients, and other interdisciplinary staff to resolve day-to-day conflicts. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. c. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: i. 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. ii. Ability to utilize numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics in an interdisciplinary setting. iii. Ability to organize work, set priorities, and delegate tasks/responsibilities in order to meet deadlines. iv. Skill in communicating with individuals to obtain the desired effect and coordinating with a variety of interdisciplinary care team staff. v. Ability to provide staff development and training. vi. 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. 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). Preferred Experience: Ability to operate computerized programs and systems. Knowledge of Medical Terminology. Ability to scheduled medical appointments. Ability to work independently . Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically and by telephone. Great customer service skills. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G45.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Martinsburg VA Medical Center 510 Butler Avenue Martinsburg, WV 25405 US
• Name: Trudy Wachala
• Phone: 4106057000 X51841
• Email: [email protected]