Clarification from the agency

Open to Current, Permanent, VA San Diego Health Care System (VASDHCS) Employees and other current, permanent VA employees ONLY. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does NOT apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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The duties include but are not limited to:

• Performs assigned duties in a manner that promotes quality health care, outstanding customer service, and the maintenance of an environment committed to serving the Veteran.
• Performs Admissions, Discharges, and Transfers (ADT) movements via VA computerized application systems.
• Completes varied assignments which are complex and detailed in nature, requiring coordination with the self directed team members, team coordinator, administrative and clinical staff within the medical center and community providers.
• Assures that all visitors and telephone calls are referred in a prompt and courteous manner.
• Provides information and technical support on availability of services, points of contact, and necessary authorizations and approvals.
• Plans and carries out the assignment, revolving most of the conflicts that arise during the execution of the assigned duties.
• Schedules appointments, including interpreting, and verifying provider orders in accordance with Veterans Health Administration (VHA) national scheduling guideline.
• Schedules Veterans for future appointments in accordance with clinic profiles and input from Veterans to include combining appointments when possible and scheduling appointments prior to discharging the clinical/inpatient setting.
• Cancels, reschedule patients appointments and/or consults.
• Monitors both inpatient and outpatient appointments for areas of responsibility.
• Process all emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals.
• Coordinates the work with others as necessary and interpreting policy on their own initiative in terms of established objectives.
• Provides the customer with consistent information according to established policies and procedures.
• Listens to all customer/Veteran feedback, positive and negative, acting to resolve complaints within their control, and reporting feedback to management (or team leader) in a timely manner.
• Obtains clinical information such as laboratory, radiology, and other reports from the electronic data capture systems, as needed for the coordination of care of patient per provider's request.
• Ensures action required encounters are printed to providers twice daily in order to obtain appropriate workload credit.
• Handle all interactions with courtesy, professionalism, and diplomacy. It is expected that the incumbent demonstrate flexibility amid changing priorities and/or critical deadlines. The incumbent is expected to meet the needs of customers while supporting VA missions.

Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Varies, to include weekend and holidays; Rotation from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, or 3:30 PM to 12:00 AM, or 11:30 PM to 8:00 AM.
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized.
Telework: Not Available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
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.
• 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 identification 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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

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

Experience: One (1) year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.
4. 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.
5. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
6. 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.

Assignment: For all assignments above the FPL, the higher-level duties must be of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity, and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. At the advanced level, the Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) (AMSA) performs difficult and responsible 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. Recommend 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.).

Other assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: processes incoming patient secure messaging through MyHealthyVet and coordinates with care team as appropriate; participates in team huddles and team meetings to manage, plan, problem solve, and follow-up with patient care by sharing information and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team; setting priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs; identifies incomplete encounters and communicates findings to providers; as needed; assists the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions; enters appropriate information into the electronic record; monitors pre-appointment information and/or requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure; manages patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues; evaluates patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether the patient requires an immediate appointment; informs team members about shared patients (i.e., those who receive their care at multiple VA centers or those who receive care in the community).

Preferred Experience:

• Subject matter expert in Ward Administration policies and procedures.
• Experience in Admissions, Discharges, Transfers (ADT) movements.
• Experience interacting with internal and external customers to achieve desired outcomes.
• Experience coordinating information and actions related to patient care and services.
• Experience with VA computer applications and systems to include Vista, CPRS, ISS, and Insurance Capture Buffer (ICB) System.
• Experience with scheduling, cancelling or rescheduling appointments in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.
• Experience with performing patient check-in or check-out procedures.
• Experience with interpreting and verifying provider orders.
• Experience with obtaining medical information from patients, documenting information accurately in the appropriate system and communicating accurately and timely to the appropriate clinician or team as needed.
• Experience with entering no-show and cancel by patient information.
• Possess excellent customer service skills, organizational skills, and time management skills.
• Experience performing basic eligibility, co-pay and pre-authorization requirements for specific coverage (e.g., TRICARE, sharing agreements, etc.).
• Flexibility with work schedule.

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

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.