Advanced Medical Support Assistant (Intermittent) @ Veterans Health Administration

Job Summary

The Advanced Medical Support Assistants (AMSA) position includes all PACT teams within Ambulatory Care Service at grade GS-6 can be assigned to East Orange, Lyons or any CBOCs within the VHA NJ HCS.

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.
• Education: High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
• Experience: None.
• 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: To qualify for the GS-06 level, your resume must demonstrate you possess the required experience necessary to possess the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) required for the grade.
• Be specific when describing the job duties that demonstrate you possess the KSAs listed.
• Resume must include hours per week for work experience credit.
• Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-06: Experience.
• One year of experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level.
• Assignment.
• The Advanced MSA 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.
• Recommends 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.).
• In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate 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.

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-06.

Physical

Requirements

See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Major Duties

• VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo Duties included but not limited to: AMSA's perform a variety of support duties that facilitate the work of an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model (e.g. PACT).
• The AMSAs ensures that the clinic setup is closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinic, and makes any necessary adjustments, working in collaboration with the appropriate clinic or clinics and the members of the different PACT teams.
• The AMSA's develop and maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary team, VA medical centers, and other agencies to assist in the Veterans' continuity of care.
• The Advanced MSAs will work with the MSA Supervisor in completing deadlines and prioritizing work, providing input in problem solving on operational issues or procedures.
• The AMSAs are responsible for assisting the Veterans in providing a smooth process for the management of his/her outpatient appointments.
• The AMSAs perform support work in connection with the care and treatment given to the Veterans throughout the scheduling process.
• All incoming calls clinical in nature will be directed to the appropriate PACT team for screening by the RN Manager to determine whether those calls can be appropriately handled by the agent or if they need to be directed to other team members thus improving responsiveness to Veterans questions and concerns and reducing the overall cost of care by controlling the use of resources.
• Work Schedule: Intermittent Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized.
• Telework: Ad-Hoc.
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
• Functional Statement #: 21X72-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.
• PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized.

Requirements

• You 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.
• In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment.
• The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• 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.
• 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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will 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.