Advanced Medical Support Assistant

About the Role

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) is responsible for all duties required in the coordination of patient care, performing a full range of duties related to scheduling and patient flow within an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. This role ensures accurate, complete, and timely appointment management and the coordination of all administrative information between professional staff and patients.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model.
• Coordinate with the patient care team to review clinic availability (utilization) to ensure clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support clinic needs and make adjustments as necessary.
• Develop and/or maintain effective and efficient communication with patients, interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies.
• 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.
• Process incoming patient secure messaging through MyHealthyVet and coordinate with the care team as appropriate.
• Participate in team huddles and team meetings to manage, plan, problem-solve, and follow-up with patient care by sharing information and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team.
• Set priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of work to meet team and patient needs.
• Identify incomplete encounters and communicate findings to providers as needed.
• Assist the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions.
• Enter appropriate information into the electronic record.
• Monitor pre-appointment information and/or requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure.
• Manage patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues.
• Evaluate patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether the patient requires an immediate appointment.
• Inform team members about shared patients (i.e., those who receive care at multiple VA centers or in the community).
• Provide administrative scheduling and appointment coordination for diagnostic testing, consultative appointments, diagnostic and medical procedures for multiple clinical services.
• Greet, receive, and monitor virtual Veterans and route all F2F Veterans who report to the facilities for scheduled and unscheduled examinations, procedures, and appointments, ensuring patients are electronically checked in.
• Update all information.
• Anticipate problems, prevent their recurrence, brainstorm solutions, and recommend changes for program improvement when indicated through discussion with peers, supervisors, and other team members.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Experience: Six months of experience in clerical, office, customer service, or other administrative work that indicates the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills needed for the position.
• Education: One year above high school.
• Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry-level positions for which both education and experience are acceptable.
• 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 in this occupation meeting criteria).
• Full Performance Level: GS-6.
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
• Compressed/Flexible: Not Available.
• Telework: Not Available.
• Virtual: Not a virtual position.
• Typing: Proficient in typing, possessing speed, accuracy, and proper grammar.

Qualifications

• 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 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 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 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.

Physical Requirements

• Extended periods of walking while making clinical rounds or making contacts with other services.
• Standing, twisting, bending, sitting, and carrying of supplies.
• Ability to lift (30 lbs.) and carry short distances.

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.