Advanced Medical Support Assistant

Summary The New Mexico Health Care System (NMVAHCS) is currently recruiting Advanced Medical Support Assistants (AMSA) for the fast paced, growing service: Health Administration Service. The NMVAHCS strives to provide the highest quality primary, secondary and tertiary health care to its beneficiaries through a compassionate, innovative health care system, excellent training and education of health care professionals, and effective use of available resources. Responsibilities The Advanced MSA was established to ensure assistance to Veterans providing a smooth process for the management of Veteran's outpatient appointments as well as support work of the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT). The Advanced MSA coordinates with the Clinical Team to review the clinic utilization by using various reports (i.e. Clinic Utilization Statistical Summary), ensure that the clinic setup is closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinic, and make any necessary adjustments. The Advanced MSA develop/maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary team, VA Medical Centers, and other agencies (e.g. assist with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge; communicate with non-VA medical facilities by fax; facilitate/process secure messaging with the patient and team; develop and manage a tracking system for follow up care as such consults, tests, etc.) Major duties include, but are not limited to: Scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults. Entering no-show information. Monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources. Participating in team huddles and team meetings to manage and plan patient care Setting priorities and deadlines. Adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs. Monitoring pre-appointment requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure (e.g. X-Ray, Lab Work). Managing electronic wait list to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues. Participating and providing input in problem solving on operational issues or procedures in team meetings. Performing administrative follow up actions. Evaluating patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether patient is vested. Educating providers about shared patients (those who receive their care at multiple VAs or those who have care in the community and bringing to the attention of the provider. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Work Schedule may be subject to change upon Service Line's Needs) Telework: Yes - as determined by the agency policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required. Requirements 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. 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. 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. Experience and Education: Six months experience: 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. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met for this position. Advanced Medical Support Assistant, GS-6 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05). Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following technical 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. References: VA Handbook 5005/53, Part II, Appendix G45, Medical Support Assistant GS-0679. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. Physical Requirements: Work is generally sedentary in nature with some walking, standing and bending. Occasionally requires moderate physical activity, e.g., carrying light items such as books and papers or lifting stacks of boxes or records. Work is typically performed in an office setting; adequately lighted, quiet, and controlled atmosphere. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript to meet the basic Education requirement may be submitted for verification. There is no educational substitution at the GS-06. Additional Information During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. 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. 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. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.