About this role
Job SummaryThe position is located in the Health Administration Service (HAS) at VA Montana Health Care System serves as the assigned MSA in any area of the Medical Center (PACT, Specialty, Support/Ancillary Services, Integrated Call Center, Community Care). The MSA works collaboratively with other members of the assigned team and with expanded health care teams to include pharmacists, social workers, dieticians, behavioral, health staff, etc. to provide a robust interdisciplinary approach to care.
QualificationsBASIC REQUIREMENTS. To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following: Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). Experience. None. 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. Grandfathering Provision. Employees in VHA in this occupation, under a permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and/or assignment held, including positive education and registration/certification where applicable. For employees who do not meet all the basic or assignment-specific requirements in this standard but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply: Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees retained in this occupation under this provision who subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. NOTE: This provision is not intended to regularize appointments/placements. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. Grade Requirements In addition to the basic requirements for employment listed above, the following education and experience criteria must be met: Advanced Medical Support Assistant, GS-6 Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. The required specialized experience for this position includes: performing a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting, advises clinical staff on administrative processes, scheduling appointments, monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources, verifying and updating demographics and insurance information, and coordinating administrative functions. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Candidates must also demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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. 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. 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.). Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6 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.
Major DutiesVA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo Major duties of the Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) include, but are not limited to: Responsible for adhering to the VHA scheduling policies and procedures, as well as other HAS and local policies. Ensure all appointments are made from a provider's order (Clinically Indicated Date) and that when a provider order is not available, the patient's desired date is recorded correctly within the scheduling package. Responsible for patient check-in process (in its entirety) for their PACTs or specialty providers, including the printing of any necessary documentation needed for the appointment (health summaries, medication lists, daily plans, etc.), pre-registration of patients, Insurance Capture Buffer (IBC) scanning for private insurance, and the usage of VetLink software. Collects, scans, and updates health insurance information to aid in the revenue collection process. Completes the patient check-out process daily, which includes the completion of Return to Clinic (RTC) orders, the creation of recall reminders, consult follow-up, no-showing patient appointments according to local policy, and any other action required to complete the appointment process. Advises sharing beneficiaries of basic eligibility, covered and non-covered services, and program requirements with the thorough knowledge of all component programs. This will include making eligibility determinations based on the customer's status, enrollment, and services required and/or requested. Responsible for ensuring that patients are eligible for care at the time of scheduling, utilizing the patient enrollment menu and eligibility criteria. Responsible for utilizing reports to assist in the care delivery process. Reports include but are not limited to: Encounter Action Required Report, Clinic Utilization Statistical Summary, Consult Tracking Reports (CTR) (in-house and Non-VA Care), various VHA Support Service Center (VSSC) reports (access, wait times, no-shows and cancellations. Responsible for the VHIC Card process, assisting with Bene Travel requests, understanding the Heritage Medication Program, postage meters, and UPS labels. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm or as agreed upon with the possibility of extended hours and weekends. Telework: Ad-HOC Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 51755-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not AuthorizedRequirementsYou must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. 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 may 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.