Advanced Medical Support Assistant

Summary

This position serves as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant at the Toms River, NJ VA Clinic and is under the supervision of the Primary Care Department. Performs clerical work in support of the care given to patients, such as receiving patients or maintaining patient files; work administering or advising on medical record systems. Analytical ability, judgment, discretion, and dedication to customer service are required.

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Duties

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The Advanced Medical Support Assistants (AMSA) position includes all PACT teams within Ambulatory Care Service at grade GS-6 can be assigned to East Orange, Lyons or any CBOCs within the VHA NJ HCS.

The AMSAs are responsible for assisting the Veterans in providing a smooth process for the management of his/her outpatient appointments. The AMSAs perform support work in connection with the care and treatment given to the Veterans throughout the scheduling process. Additionally, the AMSA's perform a variety of support duties that facilitate the work of an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model (e.g. PACT).

The Advanced Medical Support Assistants are established to ensure assistance for Veterans to maneuver through the medical system, providing support in managing his/her outpatient appointments as well as support work in connection with their care. The AMSA's have advanced knowledge of the technical health care process as it relates to access to care and clinic management, and will assist with the treatment given to the Veterans by performing a variety of support duties that facilitate the work of an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model (e.g. PACT). The incumbents utilize computerized programs and databases in order to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive information and various data into or from electronic medical records, scheduling systems, and/or reporting formats. Maintains patient confidentiality with written and verbal information, per HIPAA requirements.

The Advanced MSAs will review the clinics appointment schedule to ensure that clinic utilization is optimized and effectively supports the needs of the clinics as well as the needs of the Veterans. The incumbents develop and maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary team, VA medical centers, and other agencies.

The AMSAs must be knowledgeable of the medical facility's organization and services, rules and regulations governing eligibility and treatment, practical knowledge of the standard procedures, medical records, have advanced knowledge of medical terminology, security of sensitive electronic files, process improvement, and customer service.

Duties will vary slightly depending on the section the Advanced Medical Support Assistant is assigned to but in general at the GS-06 level incumbents are expected to perform the following duties:

• Facilitate/process secure messaging with the patient and team
• Notify patients of normal lab results by mailing lab letter
• Develop and manage a tracking system for follow up care such as consults, tests, etc.
• Monitoring pre-appointment requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure (e.g., X-ray, lab work, ekg).
• Participate in daily team huddles and weekly team meetings to manage and plan patient care.
• Assist in setting priorities and deadlines.
• Adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs.
• Work with the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions and entering appropriate information into the electronic record.
• Work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model.
• Coordinate with the patient care team to review the clinic utilization by using various reports.
• Ensure that the clinic setup is closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinic.
• Coordinate with their PACT during schedule scrub activities.
• Arranging with supervisor clinic cancellation, blocking, and rescheduling.
• Review open encounters daily and coordinate with PACT to ensure timely closure of clinic appointments.
• Scan Non-VA medical documentation.
• Review (ICB) insurance capture buffer daily.
• Address (RTC) return to clinic orders daily.
• Assist team with virtual appointment management.
• Perform basic eligibility requirements as noted in the VA policy.
• Provide input to problem solving in PACT and provides follow-up actions.
• Shares information and collaboration with PACT and Medical center staff.
• Orders administrative supplies.

AMSA performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule : Intermittent; various days 8:00am-4:30pm

Compressed/Flexible :Not Available

Telework : Ad-Hoc

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Recruitment Incentive: Not Authorized

Functional Statement # : 21X72-A

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

Fi nancial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• 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 ( 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 examination/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.

Qualifications

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: 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,
• Education: One year above high school OR,
• Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.

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 : GS-06 Requirements

Experience . One year of experience equivalent to the [GS-5] grade level

and

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.

Preferred Experience: Customer Service & Knowledge of Medical Terminology

References: VA Handbook 5005/117; Part II; Appendix G45. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. This position is above the full performance level.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. The work is primarily sedentary. Physical demands do not exceed those of a typical office setting. There may be some walking, standing twisting, turning, sitting, pushing, bending, frequent keyboard usage, and carrying of light items. Some positions may require sitting for long periods of time at a computer terminal typing data while talking on a telephone headset. In addition, there can be increased stress due to the intensity of a patient/customer complaint or concern.

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: 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:

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for 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.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

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.

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.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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