Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Summary This position serves as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant above the full performance level within the Administrative Section of Dental at the Central Texas VA Health Care System (CTVHCS). The primary purpose of this position is to serve as an AMSA assigned to outpatient clinics. The AMSA position is a fundamental role within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Patient Centered Medical Home Model Transformation Initiative. Duties Major duties include, but are not limited to: Understanding a wide variety of subjects regarding the VA while remaining friendly and courteous, regardless of the patient's or visitor's attitude or behavior. Promoting veteran registration for and utilization of MyHealtheVet (MHV), online personal health record for veterans. Performing in-person authentication (IPA) for Veterans requesting initial access to individually identifiable health information within the MHV web-based application. Receiving and routing all Veterans who report to the facilities for scheduled and unscheduled examinations and appointments. Printing the medication reconciliation program, routing slips and confirming with the patient that pre-registration is completed including demographic and insurance information, updating the information as needed. Providing guidance, directions, and instructions to Veterans in relation to their appointments. Scheduling appointment with patient input to reduce no shows. Processing first party requests and ensuring forms are complete and accurate. Receiving outside correspondence, requesting provider's actions for patient care, and forwarding to the appropriate agency for review. Ensuring non-VA records are forwarded to the appropriate provider for review. Scanning and indexing records into the system, on a timely basis and within the established guidelines, while ensuring the proper disposition of documents. Providing a high degree of customer service with tack, poise, and diplomacy in dealing with Veterans who may have multiple health problems in a caring, compassionate, and sensitive manner. Capturing insurance and demographic information on all Veterans, explaining the VA's role in insurance reimbursement. Receives telephone calls and visitor to the VA, (patients, families, and friends of patients) regarding services and requests for changing scheduled appointments. Multi-tasking to perform multiple duties at one time such as accessing the computer system, scheduling the appointment and utilizing multiple software to accomplish tasks related to the Veteran's visit. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday;7:30am to 4:00pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 54178-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized 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. Experience. No experience required. Education. High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial- level Board or Department of Education. Licensure/Certification/Registration. None Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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). Grade Determinations: Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-06. Experience. One (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level. Examples of experience may include, but 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 huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic, monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when patients check-in for appointments; coordinate administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals and determines appointment type based on the patient's eligibility status (i.e., TRICARE, sharing agreements, collaterals, research patient, VA employee, etc.). 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 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. Preferred Experience: At least two years in the medical field with leadership experience Excellent Customer Service and Communication Skills Must be able to work under pressure and plan workload without halting operation as a whole while showing initiative in completing priority tasks. Experience with Microsoft office, Microsoft Excel, Multi phone line. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds. Education Basic: High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial- level Board or Department of Education. Grade Determination: No education substitution for experience