Clarification from the agency

U. S. Citizens

NOTE: If you are a current/permanent VA employee, please apply to the INTERNAL Announcement: VIN: 10716906 at this link: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/559062800

Duties may consist of, but are not limited to:

• Work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model;
• Coordinate with the patient care team to review the clinic utilization by using various reports and ensure that the clinic setup is closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinic;
• Develop/maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary team, VA medical centers, and other agencies;
• Participate in team huddles and team meetings to manage and plan patient care;
• Set priorities and deadlines and adjust the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs;
• Enter appropriate information into the electronic record;
• Monitor pre-appointment requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure;
• Manage electronic wait list to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues;
• Perform administrative follow up actions;
• Evaluate patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether patient is vested;
• Educate providers about shared patients and brining to the attention of the provider.

Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday to Friday, variable shifts available, 0730-1600; 0800-1630; 0830-1700, 0930-1800. Shift will be finalized upon selection.
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: Not Authorized.
PCS (aka Relocation Allowance): Not Authorized.

Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP): Incentive is available for this position. Please see Education section of this announcement for more details.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/28/2020.
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:

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. 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. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED); OR
3. Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED)

• English Language Proficiency: MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Policy.

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).

Grandfathering Provision. All MSAs employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date (August 1, 2019), of this qualification standards 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; 2) 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.

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment listed above, the following education and/or experience criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

• Creditable Experience: To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with current MSA responsibilities or an equivalent administrative patient support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting. Experience satisfying this requirement maybe paid/non-paid employment as an MSA or an equivalent position in a non-VA hospital or clinic setting. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to MSA 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 (GS-05), 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. Part-time experience as an MSA 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 MSA employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive one fulltime workweek of credit for each two weeks of service.
• GS-06 Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower level (GS-05), i.e., independently performing a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting and advising clinical staff on current administrative processes. Qualifying experience includes but not limited to: answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit; interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with scheduling guidelines; scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; participating in huddles with other administrative 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; coordinating administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other medical facilities/hospitals; and determining appointment type based on the patient's eligibility status. (This experience must be supported by your resume to be creditable.)
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Candidates must demonstrate the KSAs below.

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 of 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.

References: VA Handbook 5005/117, Part II Appendix G45. Medical Support Assistant Qualification Standard GS-679

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6.

Physical Requirements: This work is partly sedentary and as such sedentary tasks include but are not limited to: sitting at a desk, utilizing a computer, and completing phone calls and charting. Active tasks include but are not limited to: walking, standing, bending, steps, squatting, reaching above and below your head and carrying of light items such as books, papers, and adaptive equipment weighing up to 25 pounds. May involve travel to and from the parent facility and satellite facilities as needed.

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, résumé, 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.