Job: Advanced Medical Support Assistant
Job Description
Job Type: Full time, Salaried
Wage: $44,117- $73,644/yr.
Location: Salida, CO.
Job Description:
The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) has vacancies in various locations and specialty clinics. AMSAs provide specialized and expert administrative patient support in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model.
Duties
This is an open continuous announcement until September 30, 2025. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available.
This announcement may close without advanced notice.
AMSAs provide administrative support to our clinical colleagues in the care of our Nation's Veterans. Our mission is to provide efficient and effective healthcare services by promoting and enabling the delivery of timely, accurate, accessible health care. The VA is committed to cultivating a dedicated workforce of highly skilled employees who understand, believe in and take pride in VA's mission. AMSAs are essential to the success of this mission and may be assigned to many areas of the medical center including but not limited to any of the following areas: The Business Office, Community Care Service, Call Center, Health Administrative Services
Duties include but are not limited to:
- Coordinates with the patient care team to review the clinic utilization by using various reports.
- Ensures that the clinic setup is closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinic, and makes any necessary adjustments.
- Develops/maintains effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary team, VA medical centers, and other agencies.
- Facilitates/processes secure messaging with the patient and team; notifies patients of normal lab results.
- Develops and manages a tracking system for follow up care such as consults, tests, etc..
- Participates in team huddles and team meetings to manage and plan patient care.
- Sets 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.
- Monitors pre-appointment requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure (e.g., X-ray, lab work).
- Manages electronic wait list to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues.
Work Schedule: Various shifts and hours
Telework: May be eligible at the discretion of management.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
- You may be required to serve a probationary period
- Subject to a background/security investigation
- Must be proficient in written and spoken English
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
- Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.
Qualifications
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:
Grade Determinations: Advanced Medical Support Assistant, GS-6 In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements outlined above, candidates must possess the required specialized experience and be able to demonstrate all Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) as summarized below.
Physical Requirements: The work performed is predominately clerical in nature and requires no special physical standards. The work is usually performed in an office setting, working with others and/or alone. As typical in an office setting, there is the possibility for multiple distractions from normal operating functions and the incumbent is expected to be able to physically perform the duties of the position, aides permitted (which may include walking, sitting, standing, reaching, and bending.) The work may also include the need for light lifting and carrying (under 15 lbs.) of work materials (i.e.: books, binders, papers, etc.).
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: (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 - Equivalent combination of experience and education.
- English Language Proficiency: MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j.
Grade Determinations: Advanced Medical Support Assistant, GS-6 In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements outlined above, candidates must possess the required specialized experience and be able to demonstrate all Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) as summarized below.
- Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the [GS-5] grade level. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling [patient] appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring [appointment requests from multiple] electronic [sources; participating in huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic], monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments [in] areas of responsibility; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when [patients check-in for appointments. Coordinates administrative functions relating to] emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals [and determines appointment type based on the patient's] eligibility [status] (i.e., TRICARE, sharing agreements, [collaterals, research patient, VA employee], etc.).
- Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate [all of] the KSAs below:
- i. 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.]
- ii. [Ability to independently] set priorities and organize [ ] work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
- iii. 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].
- iv. 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.
- [v.] 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.
- [vi.] Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.
Physical Requirements: The work performed is predominately clerical in nature and requires no special physical standards. The work is usually performed in an office setting, working with others and/or alone. As typical in an office setting, there is the possibility for multiple distractions from normal operating functions and the incumbent is expected to be able to physically perform the duties of the position, aides permitted (which may include walking, sitting, standing, reaching, and bending.) The work may also include the need for light lifting and carrying (under 15 lbs.) of work materials (i.e.: books, binders, papers, etc.).
Education
IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
Additional information
Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.
Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
**Disclaimer: The duties and responsibilities described above are not a comprehensive list and additional tasks may be assigned to the employee, time to time; the scope of the job may change as necessitated by business demands. Click “View Application” below for more detail on this specific job.