Advanced Medical Support Assistant

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.

Experience and Education United States Citizenship : Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

Experience and Education (1) Experience. Six months experience of 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, (2) Education. One year above high school; OR, (3) 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 listed above, the following education and experience criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates for Advanced Medical Support Assistant GS-6 : Experience.

• One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. Specialized experience includes : Ability to operate computerized programs and systems in order to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient identifying information (PII) into or from electronic health records, scheduling systems, and / or reports;
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients;
• Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting; Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work;
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and / or by telephone, with internal and external customers;

and Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution.

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 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, Appendix G45The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-6 to GS-6. Physical Requirements : The work is mostly sedentary and requires incumbent to utilize a personal computer resulting in a large amount of keyboarding / data entry.

Faxing clinical documentation to the outside providers / vendors at their request during the scheduling / approving process for Fee Basis care.

Additionally, lifting and carrying items such as medical records, paperwork, and folders and will be required to do tasks that require some fine manipulation skills / abilities.

May be required to work many hours at a computer terminal. Work Conditions : The employee may rotate to various locations to perform assigned duties in an office, nursing station, or clinic setting in close proximity to clinicians and patients.

The work area may be small and congested with patients and staff. the work is in a fast paced, busy environment with multiple interruptions.

The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. Special ergonomic precautions must be taken with sitting and typing.

Work involves minimal risks and observance of typical of safety precautions typical of a clinic and office environment. Since work requires a high level of interaction with patients in close proximity to clinic care areas, employees may be exposed to communicable diseases.

Employees are required to be tested for TB annually and are offered annual vaccinations to prevent influenza. Additionally, the employee is a times confronted by angry patients or family members, so special violence prevention in the workplace safety precautions are necessary.