Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) position is in the Primary Care ICC located at the Burlington VA Clinic. The AMSA is the first administrative point-of contact for Veterans, family, and other visitors contacting the Iowa City VA Health Care System. The incumbent will provide introductory administrative support to clinical staff members and Veterans, in addition to overseeing the daily clerical functions of the scheduling of all Primary Care areas.

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

FUNCTIONS OR SCOPE OF ASSIGNED DUTIES:

Communication

• Demonstrates positive people skills in interactions which reflect caring, service orientation, professionalism, understanding, helpfulness and concern toward Veterans, visitors, and other employees of the Medical Center in both verbal and written communication.
• Maintains Veteran rights, confidentiality, and individuality.
• Resolves issues at the lowest level and in a timely manner.
• Set limits/boundaries which are clearly defined within the MSA/Veteran relationship.
• Have Advanced knowledge of medical terminology to ensure that Veterans and other callers are directed to the most appropriate place of assistance.
• Participate in and independently follow up on team huddles/meetings, sharing information and collaborating with the medical team assuring continuity of care.
• Is the main point of contact for all Secure Messages/Message Manager sent to their team; will either fulfill the request or forward to the appropriate staff for follow up and completion.

Administrative and Operational

• Is an expert in the department for scheduled and unscheduled visits.
• Maintains flexibility in adapting to changes in schedule and workload. Assists other team members
  willingly.
• Prepare reports in various formats and present data to various organizational levels.
• Screens call and determine if the call requires attention from a Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse, Provider, or other designated professional.
• Maintains and secures medical records as appropriate and in accordance with the Health Insurance Probability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
• Enters appropriate information into the Veterans electronic medical record.
• Assures appropriate forms including and documents are presented, sent out, or completed by the Veterans.
• Facilitates Release of Information for records and documents being received from outside facilities monitor and track the progress of received required information.
• Provides advanced clerical support to the area they are assigned, including support to any staff member.
• Sets deadlines and priorities, adjusting the flow to help meet those deadlines and workload.
• Obtains and monitors the use of services, supplies, and equipment for their offices area.
• Updates Veteran's demographic information to include the following: address, phone number, insurance, preferred method of communication, guardianship reminder, and other information as new programs are added or changed.
• Receives and responds to inquiries via Secure Messaging, Message Manager, VAR, VEText, letters, or phone calls. These can include getting information to Veteran care teams through the entry of a note into the CPRS system and alerting the appropriate clinical staff member, requesting tests or medications, questions on appointments, scheduling, and various other inquiries. The MSA can
  recognize and refer urgent inquiries to clinical staff for immediate action as needed.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Basic Requirements:
a. Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens
b. Experience. None.
c. Education. High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
d. Licensure/Certification/Registration. None.
f. 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.
g. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.
h. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

Grade Determinations:

Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-6
Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level

Examples of qualifying experience, include but are not limited to, independently performing a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting. Advising clinical staff on current administrative processes. Performing administrative support duties including answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate medical staff inside or outside of the unit, scheduling appointments, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience requirement, all candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
(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.

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-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-6.

Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

f selected, to meet the basic requirement of high school education or equivalent and prior to a job offer being extended, applicants must provide one of the following as verification of the education requirement if not covered under the grandfathering provision:

1. 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
2. college transcript (official)

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.
• 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.
• 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.