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Duties to Include but not limited to:

• Works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model in a CPM VA Outpatient clinical team in Primary Care, Specialty Care, or Mental Health and performs receptions duties, customer service and other duties assigned for the proper and timely treatment of patients.
• Maintains appointment schedule for the CPM VA outpatient clinical teams or float in Primary Care, Specialty Care or Mental Health. Maintains effective communication with the patient, interdisciplinary team, VA medical centers, other agencies, outpatient and inpatient clinics and participates in team huddles to manage and plan patient care; setting priorities and deadlines, performing administrative follow up action, and adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs.
• Schedules appointments, manages, reviews, and dispositions scheduling manager and VA online scheduling requests, consults, recalls, encounter action required reports, return to clinic orders, electronic wait list, secure messaging, vet link, insurance buffer entries, etc. daily in accordance with VHA scheduling directives and policy.
• 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.
• 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 incidence of returned mail due to incorrect addresses and inability to contact patient by phone due to incorrect number.
• Assists patients, clinical team, and visitors in person or telephonically.
• Prepares any required pre-appointment documents, schedule the appropriate level of care and documents the schedule or comments in the appropriate consult, administrative contact note, or scheduled appointment.
• Explains the VA's mandate to collect insurance information to veterans, their families, and other eligible patients. Contributes to the revenue collection process by identifying patients with third party insurance.
• Collects, scans, and updates health insurance information serving a major role in the revenue process.
• Promotes veteran registration for and utilization of My HealthVet (MHV).

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30 am to 4:00, 8:00 am to 4:30, 10:30 am to 7:00 pm or 11:00 am to 7:30 pm, may include extended hours tour.
NOTE: Evenings, weekends and holidays may be required.
Compressed/Flexible: Not Available
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: Advanced Medical Support Assistant/PD000000, PD50032O, PD50032-O, PD500320, PD500320, PD000120, PD50032-0, PD50032-0, and PD500320
Position Title/Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not 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.
• 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).
• Removed outdated reference to EO 14043
• Condition of employment: Must be able to pass the national schedule training exam and competency within 90 days of employment.

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.
• 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 3j.
• Experience: Applicants must have one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05).Experience at the GS-5 level is the ability to operate computerized programs and systems in order to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient identifying information (PII) into or from electronic health records, scheduling systems, and/or reports; advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients; ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting; ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties [performing patient support work; ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone, with internal and external customers; skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution.
• Certification: None required.

Grade Determinations: GS-06 (Advanced MSA):

Experience: In addition to meeting experience at the next lower grade as described above, you must also possess the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):

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 to 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 , dated August 1, 2019. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.

Preferred Experience: Experience scheduling and coordinating appointments for patients with various clinics, ensuring all treatment requested by the physician has been scheduled, and rescheduling appointments when necessary; coordinating appointments schedules with other clinics in order to avoid conflicts; ensuring appointments are timely and in accordance with physicians' requests; monitoring pre-appointment requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure (e.g., X-ray, lab work); entering appropriate information into the electronic record; managing electronic wait list to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues; providing information via telephone and in person to the general public, members of the professional staff, patients, and other medical center personnel in response to inquiries regarding appointments; managing a tracking system for follow up care such as consults, tests, etc.; setting priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs; preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels; researching and providing guidance on policies and procedures associated with operational activities that affect the patient flow, patient care, and the revenue process; providing input in problem solving on operational issues or procedures in team meetings, performing administrative follow up actions.

The full performance level of this position is GS-06.

Physical Requirements: The position is primarily sedentary with some walking, stooping, bending and carrying of light items.

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, rsum, 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.