Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Summary The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) serves as an integral part of the VISN 23 Home and Community-Based Services program (HCBS) with the Iowa City VA Healthcare System. The incumbent works collaboratively within the interdisciplinary team (IDT) coordinating services located within the local VA facility and in the community for home and community-based services including but not limited to skilled home care, non-skilled home care, adult day health care and respite care. Responsibilities "The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below." The AMSA in HCBS team provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. The AMSA works closely with clinical personnel to ensure Veterans receive timely referred and scheduled care in their local community. This work involves specialized administrative judgment and the flexible use of a wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across all disciplines and specialties connected to HCBS services. The AMSA ensures the integrity of various databases, and data used in the management of administrative and customer service within the department. The AMSA understands and independently and appropriately utilizes the administrative support packages such as FBCS, CPRS, VISTA, VSE, REFDOCS, HSRM, PPMS, Community Viewer, Message Manager, Scheduling Manager and all other administrative packages required to perform the functions of the role. The incumbent is responsible for scheduling appointments, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with HCBS processes, guidelines, and associated directives. The AMSA independently recognizes the urgency of the consults and schedules care in accordance. Assignments include but are not limited to; scheduling, rescheduling, creation of referral packets, authorizations, and monitoring associated processes. The incumbent accurately schedules the full spectrum of medical care including but is not limited to outpatient appointments, outpatient procedures, inpatient surgery, home care, lab tests and imaging throughout all specialties. Other duties include, but are not limited to : Processing incoming Veteran messages through message manager and care requests through My HealthVet Coordinating with care team as appropriate Participating in team huddles and team meetings, problem solving, Following up on Veteran needs 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 Entering appropriate information into the electronic record per established policies and procedures Managing patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues Evaluating and triaging scheduling needs to meet recommendations by clinician in regards to urgency of the referrals. Work Schedule : Monday - Friday, 8 : 00 AM - 4 : 30 PM Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus) : Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance) : Not authorized Pay : Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). 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) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior military service experience. 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 # : 00000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment 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 (). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification 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. Qualifications BASIC REQUIREMENTS : Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.g.). 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 Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. Certification. None required. Grandfathering Provision. All MSAs employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, which are a part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply : Such employees may be reassigned, promoted, or changed to a lower grade within the occupation. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. If an employee who was converted to Title 38 hybrid status under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs. 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 3.j. Grade Determinations Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-6 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. Examples of qualifying experience : Independently performs a full range of MSA duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting. Advises clinical staff on current administrative processes. Answers phones, greets patients, relays messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit, schedules appointments, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. AND 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. Preferred Experience : Scheduling and customer service experience. Experience with Microsoft products (Excel, Outlook). Reference : For more information on this qualification standard, please visit Physical Requirements : The work is sedentary. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking, standing, bending, carrying of light items, etc. No special physical demands are required to perform the work. 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. All qualifying experience you possess must be clearly described in your application package. We will not make assumptions when reviewing applications. Education If you are basing your qualifications on education (or a combination of education and experience) or if the position requires a college education to qualify, you must submit a copy of your transcripts with your application. 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 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. 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.