Clarification from the agency

VETERANS PREFERENCE IS WAIVED FOR THIS OCCUPATIONAL SERIES IAW Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) BULLETIN "FY25 Staffing Shortage Determinations" dated: 10/1/2024.

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Clerical duties: Maintains appointment schedules for Community Care, communicates with Community Care providers to ensure they accept VA patients and payments, prepares any required pre-appointment documents, schedules the appropriate level of care and documents the schedule appointment in the appropriate consult. Obtains medical documentation from community providers, scans to appropriate consult within the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) and alerts VA providers for continuity of care Processes consults following Office of Community Care procedures to include:

- Schedules appointments in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.
- Verifies and update patient demographics.
- Compliance with authorization standards and timelines of entry.
- Compliance with Consult management, tracking, and compliance.
- Ability to collaborate, communicate and demonstrate customer service an interpersonal skill with all healthcare professionals to ensure quality/continuity of care and ensure compliance with established policies and regulation.


Appointment Scheduling
- Schedules all VACC consults with outside referrals sources as per contracted arrangements or per patient/provider selection as appropriate which includes establishing relationship with many community entities. This requires knowledge and skills to refer to various specialties/providers and communicating with both the non-VA provider and the Veteran to determine the needs and the appointment date and time.
- Contacts the Veteran to schedule the authorized Non-VA Medical Care Service.
- Contacts Non-VA Providers to determine available openings and requirements needed by provider. Any medical documentation that is released to a Non-VA Provider must be identified and recorded in accordance with Accounting of Disclosure and USC 7332 per local HIM Policy.
- Enters Non-VA Appointments into HSRM in accordance with the VHA Scheduling Directive. Links appointment to the CPRS Community Care Consult.
- Creates a Patient Appointment Letter to send to the Veteran with the authorization VAF I0-7078/10-7079.
- Creates a Non-VA Provider Authorization Letter (HSRM) and sends it to the non-VA Provider along with the authorization V AF-I 0-7078/10-7079 and appropriate clinical documentation (Ref Doc).
- Conducts post appointment follow up and requests records within 15 days of appointment.
- Prepares written correspondence used for contacting veteran who fails to show for appointments or to request veteran to contact VACC for needed information to coordinate care.
- Acts as contact representative for veterans or their representatives, and outside clinic professionals to clarify questions regarding the scheduling of outside requests and eligibility as appropriate.
- Tracks the receipt of the clinical documentation from the non-VA provider.
- Completes the non-VA consult once services have been provided and Clinical documentation received. Scans, or coordinates scanning of, clinical documentation into CPRS and links to Consult.
- Conducts scheduling activity for assigned clinics based on established scheduling policy and procedures. This includes, but is not limited to, application of scheduling priority guidelines, adherence to clinic profiles, consult management, designation of desired appointment date, documentation of clinic cancellations and no-show activity.
- Complies with the mandatory training requirements for the outpatient scheduling process.
- Assumes responsibility as the VACC scheduling point of contact for outside clinicians, VA personnel and veterans.
- Assumes responsibility for completing the Community Care consult backlog as appropriate.
- Performs data abstraction for special projects directly pertaining to VACC.

Notifications:

• 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 covered by locality-based comparability pay.
• Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment.

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Work Schedule: TBD
Telework: Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 58668F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

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.
• 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 3j.

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).

Experience or 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 (transcript is required with application); OR

• Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.(transcript is required with application);
• Certification: None required

Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met:

Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-6

(a) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level entering, modifying, retrieving sensitive information into or from electronic health records, scheduling systems, and/or reports; scheduling medical appointments in a clinical setting; performing patient support work; providing customer service and identifying patient concerns to ensure satisfactory resolution, and have an advanced level of medical terminology;

(b) 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.).

(c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition, you must demonstrate ALL of the following KSAs in your resume:

1. 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.

2. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.

Preferred Experience: One year of Community Care experience

References: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The 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.

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.

VA facilities must make reasonable accommodation for the physical or mental limitations of an applicant or employee who is a qualified person with a disability unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the department or agency.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.