Clarification from the agency

This vacancy is open to current permanent employees of the Veteran Health Administration (VHA).

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Each care team consists of identifiable and consistent team members that include physicians, nursing staff, mental health clinicians and administrative support. The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) are multi-functional employees with full clerical capabilities and responsibilities. AMSAs are considered chief sources of information and play an important role in accomplishing the work of the unit by performing duties below. At this level the incumbent must have the ability to multi-task, working rapidly and independently with a high degree of accuracy. The AMSA must be
dependable, use good judgement and effectively/accurately analyze and evaluate all situations to ensure the veteran receives the highest quality of care. Good written and oral communication skills are essential. The incumbent works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model to ensure delivery of coordinated, high quality, efficient and patient-centered care. The AMSA is the primary source of contact to the patient by phone and/or in person, acts as the liaison to the clinical staff and provides administrative assistance for the assigned Clinic. As a front-line contact
to the patient, the AMSA sets the tone for perception concerning the quality of healthcare services provided by VA. They develop/maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary team, VA medical centers, and other agencies

AMSAs are considered chief sources of information and play an important role in accomplishing the work of
the unit by performing duties below.

1. Scheduling, cancelling, and re-scheduling patient appointments by managing appointment requests (including but not limited to Return-to-Clinic Orders (RTC), Recall Reminders, Veteran's Appointment Requests (VAR), Consults, and Patient initiated requests in accordance with scheduling business rules as outlined in VHA Directive 1230, Outpatient Scheduling Management, and VHA Directive 1232, Consult Management, utilizing scheduling programs as mandated by your supervisor.

2. Consult Management: Coordinate the scheduling/rescheduling of consults or forwarding of consults to community care using the various scheduling systems and tools. Contacts the Veteran to discuss VA and community care options, gathering the Veteran's scheduling preferences and appropriately documenting all mandatory consult scheduling elements as outlined in VHA Directive 1232, Consult Management. Responsible for tracking consult progress from file entry date to the scheduled date or cancellation of the consult.

3. Documenting all patient related correspondences and outreach for scheduling in the electronic medical record.

4. Check-in/check-out procedures for patient visits and ensuring patient demographics (to include but not limited to mailing address, contact information, email, etc.) are validated and up to date in the patient's record. Responsible for capturing Non-VA health insurance utilizing the Insurance Capture Buffer software.

5. Logging into phone system application, (multiline phone system application) as directed by the supervisor, to answer incoming calls in accordance with standard operating procedures and customer service policy.

6. Responsible for managing incoming and outgoing digital and physical faxes. Distributes, receives, sorts, and delivers incoming and outgoing mail or other documents to the appropriate individuals.

7. Responding to incoming correspondences, including, but not limited to, VA emails, Instant Messages, Voicemails, and Secure Messaging within the timeliness parameters as outlined by department.

8. Responsible for Lobby Management, including, but not limited to monitoring the reception patient check-in/check-out line, general cleanliness of the lobby (if needed escalating concerns to other departments as necessary), restocking flyers and brochures, and addressing Veterans that have been waiting longer than 15 minutes.

9. Appropriately complete initial paperwork for same day walk-in "triage" patient's, notifies the appropriate nursing staff members and alerts clinical staff immediately of any urgent/emergent issues. Collaborates effectively with fellow SFVAHCS staff to ensure patient concerns are addressed.

10. Responsible for processing view alerts per VHA policy timelines.

11. Completes no-show reconciliation at the end of each clinic period, including the rescheduling of patients per VHA policy.

12. Reviews upcoming pending appointments, as necessary, to ensure patients are being seen appropriately.

13. Prepares clinic materials at the beginning or end of workday, per department policy.

14. Electronically uploads outside test results into electronic medical record.

15. Maintains up to date training on VA Scheduling Requirements.


Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm PST

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.
• 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 Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.j.

• Grandfathering Provision: All MSAs employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard 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:
  • Such employees may be reassigned, promoted, or [changed to a lower grade] within the occupation.
  • 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.
  • 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.

• Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Candidates must demonstrate [all of] the KSAs below:
  • 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.
  • Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.

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.