Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) works in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service (PM&RS) Specialty Care Team at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare system in Little Rock, North Little Rock, Arkansas and/or assigned CBOC. This position will be primarily assigned to the Orthotic, Prosthetic, Pedorthic Clinical Service (OPPCS) located in building 89 on the North Little Rock campus.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Duties of the Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) include, but are not limited to:

• Provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model (i.e. PACT) and performs receptionist duties, consult management customer service and other duties assigned for the proper and timely treatment of patients and maintains appointment schedules for multiple outpatient and inpatient clinics.
• Assists with clinical access contingency plans by adjusting appointment times, location, or dates as well as shift patients to other healthcare providers as conflict with staffing and/or coverage occurs.
• Screens/receives phone calls in a courteous and timely manner, determine the nature of requests and provide the information desired using privacy rules and established clinic processes.
• Manages the check-in kiosks as well as the Automated Call Distribution or Data (ACD) telephone system for clinics for multiple disciplines.
• Manages position responsibilities with little supervision as well as set priorities and deadlines adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs.
• Participates in huddles and team meetings where patient care planning and management occur.
• Notifies his/her supervisor when clinic access is less than desirable or if an individual patient cannot be scheduled within mandated clinic timeframes.
• Completes daily review of active/pending consult lists, RTC Orders list, VEText, VCL, Recall list and Audiocare communications for accuracy and efficiency.
• Develops and maintains effective working relationships with all clinical and administrative staff in determining priorities of activities in support of direct patient care.
• Interacts with multiple providers such as physicians, therapists, residents and students within the department and other services.
• Interprets and applies to a complex body of pertinent laws, regulations, directives, and policies that relate to the administration of VA Healthcare Benefits.
• Assumes the role of a Program Support Assistant (Care Facilitator) or Medical Support Assistant (MSA) during special projects or heavy workload, for leave or vacancies, or as needed.
• Rotates work duties to provide coverage for OPPCS.
• Completes personnel reports, rosters, and maintenance of supplies and forms.
• Generates patient workload reports for validation and monitors activity in clinical areas to ensure consistent and accurate reporting.
• Intervenes to resolve difficult problems and diffuses potential dissatisfaction with VA services in order to prevent congressional and adverse publicity.
• Serves as technical advisor and liaison with contacts at all levels.
• Reports backlogs, difficulties in meeting deadlines, uncooperative providers, or difficulty in securing information from clinicians or the record.
• Communicates with physicians, therapists, and other allied health professional staff on complex cases using sound interpersonal skills and is constantly aware of the sensitive information.
• Interprets and communicates requirements of VHA Scheduling Directive 1230 and complete accurate scheduling responsibilities. Schedules appointments and utilize the CAVHS Standardized Comments and VCL accurately in a timely manner.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, subject to change based on the needs of the facility.
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
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)
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: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 598-00583-F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Basic Requirements:

• United States 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 and Education.
  • (1) Experience. No experience required
  • (2) Education. High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
• Certification. None required.
• English Language Proficiency. Medical Support Assistants 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: In addition to the Basic Requirements, your resume must demonstrate you possess the required experience necessary to possess the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) required for each grade level. Resume must include hours per week for work experience credit.

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:

(a) 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.
(b) 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.
(c) Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.
(d) 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.
(e) Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
(f) 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.

Preferred Experience: Experience scheduling multiple clinics for various providers with different scopes of practice. Experience setting up telehealth appointments. Experience documenting phone calls. Experience using various computer programs.

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: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, puling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.

Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.

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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
• 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.