Advanced Medical Support Assistant

Summary

The incumbent functions as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA), providing administrative support to the Health Administration Service. The Advanced MSA provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model.

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Overview

• Accepting applications

• Open & closing dates

04/24/2024 to 05/15/2024

• Salary

$44,521 - $57,879 per year

• Pay scale & grade

GS 6

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Locations

3 vacancies in the following locations:

• Indianapolis, IN

• Terre Haute, IN

• Remote job

No

• Telework eligible

No

• Travel Required

25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.

• Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

• Appointment type

Permanent

• Work schedule

Full-time

• Service

Excepted

• Promotion potential

None

• Job family (Series)

0679 Medical Support Assistance

• Supervisory status

No

• Security clearance

Other

• Drug test

No

• Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

• Trust determination process

Suitability/Fitness

• Announcement number

CBSR-12397563-24-SN

• Control number

788277900

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This job is open to

• Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of this agency.

Clarification from the agency

Open to current permanent employees of Richard L Roudebush.

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Duties

The Advanced MSA supports the Health Administration Service with ongoing management of contacting veterans and their caregivers for scheduling, canceling, and re-scheduling appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; preparing for clinic visits; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information; processing records from outside medical care, and obtaining copies of form DD214 (Report of Military Separation) as needed for eligibility and benefit determination. Day to day tasks include, but may not be limited to:

a. Knowledgeably utilizes VA scheduling software including RMS and Virtual Care Manager in establishing patient appointments within the appropriate desired date.

b. Adheres to CSP protocol on patient outreach attempts and ensures appointments entered in RMS are accurately reflected in CPRS.

c. Appointments are cancelled/rescheduled according to established protocols and informational note is entered in CPRS.

d. Patients receive a call 24-hours in advance and are reminded of scheduled appointments.

e. Verifies and updates demographic and eligibility information in computer systems.

f. Refers all questions requiring immediate medical or clinical attention to the appropriate health care team member.

The incumbent utilizes various reports to complete assigned tasks, such as EARR (Error Action Required report), 1st time appointment reports, consults due reports, and other national, VISN, and locally developed reports. Additional day to day tasks includes, but may not be limited to:

a. Assists in the update, development, and maintenance of program materials, packets, and other printed materials.

b. Assists with the orientation/on the job training of new staff.

c. Completes work orders and contacts appropriate staff when requested to support the environment of care.

d. Prepares correspondence to support the administrative functions of the assigned team; all correspondence is neatly formatted and checked for appropriate spelling and grammar, all documents are the current version, and outgoing Certified mail meets USPS standards.

e. Performs RMS upgrades and provides profile updates.

f. Participates in scheduling/phone audits and reviews to ensure effective scheduling practices.

g. May have other administrative duties assigned, including but not limited to records management

The incumbent provides support for the Health Administration Service and also cross trained in many of the specific job functions of other support staff performing duties such as resulting consults, scanning, and providing front desk coverage. This versatility enables the incumbent to provide cross coverage for time sensitive administrative duties needing completion when those staff with primary responsibility are unavailable.

Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 7:30am to 4:00pm

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #:91474-A

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Recruitment Incentive: Not Authorized

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Requirements

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

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. 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.

AND

In addition to meeting basic requirement listed above, applicant must possess at least one year experience at or equivalent to work at the next lower level, that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the work of the position. To qualify for the GS-6 grade level, you must have one year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. Examples of qualifying experience includes, but is not limited, to the following: answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit, scheduling appointments, interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with scheduling guidelines; re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; and, verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when patients check-in for appointments.

In addition to this experience, you must demonstrate the following KSAs:

• 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.

• Grandfathering Provision: 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).

• Physical requirements: The work is sedentary. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking, standing, bending, carrying of light items such as papers, books, small parts, or driving an automobile, etc. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

• 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.

Although Hybrid Title 38 occupations follow Title 5 Veterans' preference rules, as required by the Merit Systems Protection Board (Graves v. A, 117 M.S.P.R. 697 (2012)), 38 U.S.C. § 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference to external applicants for appointments made during the fiscal year to hybrid title 38 occupations reported among the occupations with the largest staffing shortages. This announcement occupation(s) is reported to be among the largest staffing shortages. Veterans preference does not apply to this job announcement per the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 (PL 113-146, dated August 7, 2014) Therefore, Veteran's Preference will not be applied to this posting's applicant scores and selection process.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

"VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being."

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• Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

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.

NOTE: You must include qualifying specialized experience in mm/yyyy to mm/yyyy format on your resume and indicate Full-Time or Part-Time (if Part-time, must include # of hours worked per week). AND, if you have held a Government position, that position's grade level MUST be listed on your resume.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or 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.