Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Advanced Medical Support Assistant assigned to a Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) model, in the Emergency Department. The PACT team let is a primary care team that generally consists of a primary care provider (MD, NP, PA), registered nurse care manager, clinical associate (LPN or medical assistant/health technician) and an administrative associate (MNMSA/health technician).

VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Major Duties:

• Advanced Medical Support Assistants coordinates with the patient care team to review the clinic utilization by using various reports (e.g., Clinic Utilization Statistical Summary), ensure that the clinic setup is closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinic, and make any necessary adjustments.
• Develop/maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary team, VA medical centers, and other agencies (e.g., assist with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge;
• Communicate with non-VA medical facilities; facilitate/process secure messaging with the patient and team; notify patients of normal lab results;
• Develop and manage a tracking system for follow up care such as consults, tests, etc.).
• Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to:
  • Participating in team huddles and team meetings to manage and plan patient care;
  • Setting priorities and deadlines,
  • Adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs;
  • May work with the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions and entering appropriate information into the electronic record;
  • Monitoring pre-appointment requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure (e.g., X-ray, lab work);
  • Managing electronic wait list to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues;
  • Participating and providing input in problem solving on operational issues or procedures in team meetings,
  • Performing administrative follow up actions;
  • Participating in and independently following up on team huddles by sharing information and collaborating with the medical team to assure continuity of care;
  • Evaluating patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether patient is vested;
  • Educating providers about shared patients (those who receive their care at multiple VAs or those who have care in the community) and bringing to the attention of the provider.
• Emergency Department Advanced Medical Support Assistants is responsible for coordinating patient care by interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.
• Evaluating clinics and providers schedules to schedule Veterans' accurately and within the requested timeframe upon discharge from inpatient care.
• Providing support, maintaining effective and efficient communication to the interdisciplinary teams, nursing staff, patients, family members, VA medical centers, and other agencies. (e.g. assisting with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge;
• Facilitate/process secure messaging with the outpatient clinics to ensure timely and appropriate scheduling of Veterans' for follow up care in different PACT clinics and other specialty clinics throughout the VHA, etc.).
• Other assignments at this level include, but are not limited to;
  • Participating in inpatient ward huddles with hospital staff to ensure the workflow of the unit runs appropriately;
  • Participating in Inpatient team huddle/meetings to provide input and feedback on any safety concerns and equipment issues;

Major Duties continues in Qualifications section below:

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm or 8:00am-4:30pm
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Available, Ad-Hoc only
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 53753-F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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. 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 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). 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.
• Physical 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).

Documentation Requirements for Proof of High School Completion or higher

• If using post-high school education to substitute for experience at the GS-04 or GS-05, you must submit a copy of your unofficial or official college transcript with your application.
• If selected, to meet the basic requirement of high school education or equivalent and prior to a firm job offer being extended, applicants must provide one of the following as verification of the education requirement if not covered under the grandfathering provision:
  • Copy of high school diploma OR high school transcript (unofficial or official) OR GED Certificate OR homeschooling completion OR proficiency certificate issued by a State or Territorial Board or Department of Education OR college transcript (official)

Grade Determinations: Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-06

• Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.
  4. 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.
  5. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
  6. 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: May be required, depending on the needs of the organization.

Major Duties continued:

• Problem solving on operational issues, procedures and performing administrative follow up actions;
• Collaborating with various teams to assure continuity of care;
• Scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient's appointments and/or consults;
• Facilitates and assist with patient travel activities;
• Monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments;
• Ensuring admissions, transfers, and discharges are complete;
• Accurately interprets eligibility requirements in order to make eligibility determination to ensure that Veterans and beneficiaries meet legal/contractual requirements for medical care;
• Verifying and updating demographics and insurance information;
• Collecting means test data when appropriate; gives advisory and technical assistance to all applicable customers regarding eligibility and enrollment service, programs and activities;
• Processes all emergency and non-emergency transfers to the other VA facilities and non-VA hospitals and facilities;
• Communicating pertinent information to patients, co-workers and clinical staff member;
• Provides clerical support to include, but not limited to preparing/mailing letters, placing phone calls, printing labels/armbands, maintaining/updating rosters and phone lists, and running various reports (ie. Inpatient roster, morning report, G&L, critically ill listing, schedule of operations);
• Daily use and knowledge of the following programs to ensure the above duties are completed in a timely manner; CPRS, VISTA, VISTA Scheduling, VCM, Microsoft word, Microsoft teams, Morning Report, ICB, Message manager, and When to Work, and Outlook.
• NOTE: This position requires long periods of sitting; this position is subject to rotate or floats to different locations, units and/or workstations based on the needs of the health care system.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this 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.
• 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.