Clarification from the agency

Open to current, permanent employees of the Veterans Health Administration (including the facility and CBOCs where this vacancy is located), including Title 38, Hybrid Title 38, and VCS employees covered by VA/OPM Interchange Agreements and those eligible under CTAP. This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.

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This position is covered by (AFGE) bargaining unit. Per the Master Agreement, the Area of Consideration will be:

• FIRST - The Administration or VA Staff office posting the vacancy.
• SECOND - Any other internal candidates of the Department.
• THIRD - From among properly ranked and certified candidates from any other appropriate source.

The position is located in Comprehensive Genetics Services (CGS), which is a field office of National TeleOncology Service Hub, located virtually at the Durham VA Medical Center. The CGS integrates genetic clinical counseling and testing into routine care aimed at improving the health of Veterans and their family members. The primary duties of the Advanced Medical Support Assistant are to perform a variety of support functions in connection with the care and treatment of patients who are referred to CGS for services and testing. The MSA works closely with all staff members performing the assigned clinical, scheduling, and administrative details that are essential to the orderly and efficient accomplishment of CGS goal.
The MSA serves as a provider-site clinical coordinator for patient intake. The MSA is available for all encounters to carry out clinical duties in support of patient care. This announcement will remain open until 1/16/2025. All applications received up to 11:59p.m. EST on the date in which 50 applications is reached will receive first consideration. Additional applications will be reviewed in one day increments as requested by management.

The following duties include but are not limited to:

• When requested, performs patient intakes to include obtaining family medical history and genetic pedigree information prior to telehealth appointment with CGS provider.
• Procures other necessary data when requested prior to clinical encounter by interviewing patients, their representatives and related family members, reviewing official records and requesting, via information release, non-VA medical records and test results pertinent to patient cases.
• When requested, fills out patient information in tools such as BOADICEA, Tyrer Cuzick, FamGenix, etc. to help providers with cancer and mutation risk assessment.
• Ensures outside medical provider documentation is obtained and scanned into the Electronic Health Record.
• Reviews provider's schedule to generate report of upcoming patients, indication, and additional relevant patient information.
• Works with other CCGS staff to maintain and communicate accurate patient information and update changes in patient chart. Other related duties as assigned

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday- Tour Negotiable and will be discussed during the interview process
Remote: Approved. This position is being filled as remote (i.e., the employee will not work at a VA facility or VA-leased space). Typically, this means working from home 100%.
Functional Statement #: 00000
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.
• 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

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 (The experience must be supported by your resume to be creditable.) OR,
  • Education One year above high school (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit the required document, your application will not be reviewed.)OR,
  • Experience/Education Combination Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. (NOTE: 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.)
  • 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 and meet the criteria)

Grade Determinations Advanced Medical Support Assistant GS-0679-6: 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.

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 such as advising clinical staff on current administrative processes, answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit, 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 MSAs 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 VA facilities or private 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: In addition to the specialized experience, Candidates must demonstrate ALL of 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.

Preferred Experience:
Experience in laboratory setting
On site experience in a medical setting
Experience utilizing an electronic health record
Experience directly interacting with Veterans on a regular and reoccurring basis

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

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. Physical demands do not exceed those of a typical office setting. There may be some walking, standing, twisting, turning, sitting, pushing, bending, repetitive keyboarding, or carrying of light items. Some positions may require sitting for a long period of time at a computer terminal typing data while talking on a telephone headset. In addition, there can be increased stress due to the intensity of a patient/customer complaint or concern.

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.