Advanced Medical Support Assistant

Summary

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant is part of the Radiology Service, located at VA Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS) - Palo Alto Division, VISN 21. As the Customer service representative, AMSA supports the Radiology Service by working at the front desk and representing the first interaction our patients have with the radiology service. The Radiology Service provides diagnostic consultation by means of digital imaging services primarily for health care providers.

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Duties

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Duties Include, but are not limited to:

• Ability to collaborate, communicate, set priorities, and organize the work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
• Interface with personal computer (PC) applications as well as numerous programs including VistA, CPRS, and Unity, etc. Knowledge of PACS to mine and retrieve pertinent images and reports.
• Knowledge of VISTA for entry and retrieval of administrative and clinical data, to include numerous existing report options and specialized queries, requiring FILEMAN extracts.
• Knowledge of the administrative and office automation operations, procedures and terminology and the processing systems used in the Radiology Service and the role of the Service within the VAPAHCS. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.
• Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process as it relates to access to care. Knowledge of VA policies and procedures as well as departmental procedures related to personnel and management.
• Excellent communication skills: Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, both orally and in writing, to meet program objectives. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels as well as with representatives of outside agencies. The incumbent must be able to communicate effectively with patients, visitors, and staff at all levels within the VAPAHCS (physicians, technologists, nurses, etc.).
• Knowledge of and skill in applying a wide range of methods used to gather, analyze, and evaluate information, draw conclusions, and recommend appropriate actions. This includes independently utilizing reference sources, decision making, and empowering the team to collaborate and resolve problems within a complex systems environment.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with operational activities that affect the patient flow, patient care, and the revenue processes. The incumbent uses his/her own judgment in selecting appropriate guidelines, policies, and procedures and adapting them according to circumstances of the specific case. For example, if those requesting images provide inadequate information and many locations are possible, the incumbent will select the most appropriate guide or search procedure in locating the materials sought.
• The work includes various duties involving different and unrelated processes and methods. Searching assignments occasionally involve such characteristics as incorrect, indefinite, or incomplete information, requiring reference to guides, PACS, or other sources to locate the materials requested. The decision regarding what needs to be done is based on the incumbent's knowledge of the duties, priorities, policies, and program goals of the Radiology Service. The incumbent is responsible for following all local and VHA procedures and processes. Deadlines are frequently driven by shortresponse timeframes and/or urgent requests for assistance necessitating priority setting, flexibility, and efficiency of job performance.
• The incumbent's work at the front desk and ability to address customer service issues affect the efficiency, accuracy, and acceptability of further processes of services. The incumbent also maintains the fihn library and provide an efficient reference service. Timely and proper record distribution affects the work of others and ultimately affects patient care. Ready availability of all patient images on PACS is necessary to reduce wait times for Attending and Resident Radiologists as well as clinical users.
• The incumbent must have skill and knowledge in the operation of office automation equipment such as portable computer systems, photocopy machines, and fax machines.

Work Schedule : Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 09834F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• 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 ( 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.

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.
• Experien ce: 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
• 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 38U.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 for employment, candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for placement at grade levels specified.

Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-06:

Experien ce: 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:

• 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.
• 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.

• Assignment:
  • For all assignments above the FPLs, the higher-level duties must be of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity, and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time At the advanced levels, the Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) (AMSA) performs difficult and responsible specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model Work involves specialized administrative judgment and the flexible use of a wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across multiple clinics specialties and/or care in the community resources Recommend changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines Expertise in utilizing numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics involved in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. Coordinates with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability (utilization) to ensure that clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics and makes adjustments as necessary. MSAs at this level develop and/or maintain effective and efficient communication with the patients' interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies (e.g., assist with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge; communicate with non-VA medical facilities; prepare correspondence to notify patients of normal lab results; manage a system for follow-up care such as consults, tests, etc.).
• Other assignments at this level include but are not limited to:
  • Processes incoming patient secure messaging through MyHealthyVet and coordinates with care team as appropriate; participates in team huddles and team meetings to manage plans, problem-solve, and follow up with patient care by sharing information and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team; setting priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs; identifies incomplete encounters and communicates findings to providers; as needed; assists the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions; enters appropriate information in to the electronic record; monitors pre-appointment in formation and/or requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure; manages patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues; evaluates patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether the patient requires an immediate appointment; informs team members about shared patients (i.e., those who receive their care at multiple VA centers or those who receive care in the community).

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-06.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary but also requires some standing, walking, bending, lifting, and carrying of light items. The work requires above average agility and dexterity. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.

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

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.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

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.

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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