Clarification from the agency

Open to all eligible U.S. Citizens; VHA employees will receive priority consideration.

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Major Duties:

The incumbent is responsible for managing medical center primary care clinic grids and clinic cancellations, clinic letters, and any other clinic scheduling needs in collaboration with the Primary Care Administrative Officer.
The incumbent works collaboratively in the PACT care model and performs all related duties; customer service and other duties assigned for the proper and timely treatment of patients and assure appointment schedules are maintained by MSA staff for one or more outpatient clinics. S/He must assist with clinic contingency plans by adjusting appointment times, locations, or dates as well as shift patients to other healthcare providers as conflict with staffing and/or coverage occurs.
Supports patient safety standards using the correct Veterans Affairs identification of all patients through the use of two forms of identification, name and full Social Security Number. The patient may also present the Veterans identification Card (VIC) for identification. When assisting the AMSA staff in the check-in process, he/she must use each interaction with the patient to validate and update patient demographic information, either in person during check-in or over the phone, to decrease the incident of returned mail due to incorrect addresses and inability to contact patient by phone due to incorrect number.
Assures AMSA staff explains the VA's mandate to collect insurance information to veterans, their families, and other eligible patients. Assures staff collects, scans, and updates health insurance information serving a major role in the revenue process. The incumbent contributes to the revenuecollection process by identifying patients with third party insurance. Promotes veteran registration for and utilization of MyHealtheVet (MHV).Assures front line contact with patients and staff by setting the tone for perception concerning quality of healthcare services at the VA. A high degree of tact and diplomacy is required when dealing with veterans who have multiple health problems and who may be frustrated with the administrativeprocess associated with diagnosis and treatment. A caring, compassionate and sensitive manner is essential when explaining procedures to veterans and their family members both in person and on the phone.
When records are received, the incumbent will ensure that all necessary health/administrative information are integrated into the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) by sending the documents to the appropriate department for scanning. Incumbent must screen/receive phone calls in a courteous and timely manner, determine the nature of requests and provide the information desired using privacy rules and established clinic processes.
Incumbent must be able to train staff on the requirements of VHA Scheduling Directives and complete accurate scheduling responsibilities:

• a. Schedule appointments and utilize the Electronic Wait List accurately in a timely manner. All appointments will be made with the patient's input, either in person or by phone.. This may require a high level of coordination to avoid patients having to make multiple trips to the medical center or CBOC whenever possible.
• b. Notifies his/her supervisor when clinic access is less than desirable or is an individual patient cannot be scheduled with mandated clinic timeframes.
• c. Daily review of active/pending consults, Electronic Wait List, Recall List, Actions Required and AudioCare reports for accuracy and disposition.

The Supervisory MSA may be asked to participate in the PACT daily teamlet huddles and weekly team meetings where patient care planning and management occur. Incumbent will rotate this to assure all MSA staff is in attendance and understands the process for their assigned teamlet(s).The incumbent is able to independently manage position responsibilities with little supervision as well as set priorities and deadlines adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Recruitment Incentive may be authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• 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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

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:

• 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: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level leading or supervising Medical Support Assistants or equivalent patient administrative support staff in a non-VA medical inpatient, outpatient, or interdisciplinary setting.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
a. Ability to provide the full range of administrative and supervisory duties to at least one subordinate MSA supervisor or team leader in a patient support setting which includes assignment of work, performance evaluations, selection of staff, and recommendation of awards and/or advancements.
b. Ability to collaborate, communicate, and demonstrate customer service and interpersonal skills with internal and external customers to ensure quality/continuity of care and ensure compliance with established policies and regulations.
c. Ability to provide briefings, orientations, staff development, and training in a patient support setting.
d. Ability to manage fiscal matters, forecast resource and equipment needs, and identify budget needs.
e. Advanced knowledge of managing or leading patient support staff in a clinic. This includes independently utilizing reference sources, decision making, and empowering the team to collaborate and resolve problems within a complex systems environment.

Preferred Experience: N/A

References: VA Handbook 5005/53, Part II, Appendix G

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, all though some light physical effort may be required. Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to do the work. However; there may be some walking, standing, bending and carrying of light items like paper and books. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

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.

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.