Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Summary

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant serves in the Dental Clinic at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center in Martinsburg, West Virginia. The position directly impacts the administrative and operational aspects of Veteran care delivery, including access management, appointment scheduling, and coordination using advanced clinic access principles, patient processing, customer service, and data integrity.

Duties

The Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) works independently, exercising sound judgment to resolve administrative issues that affect patient care delivery. Duties include reception, daily patient processing, and knowledge to support the Specialty Care Service (Dental Service). The position requires excellent communication skills, effective problem-solving, and the ability to support continuous clinic operations, including staggered shifts or weekend clinics when needed. The AMSA reports directly to the Administrative Officer, Dental Service at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center. Duties may include, but are not limited to: Serves as a primary administrative support resource for outpatient clinics, independently managing complex scheduling and access activities in accordance with VHA and local policies. Responsible for coordinating care between the Veterans Dental hygienist, General Dentist, Specialty Provider, and Dental Laboratory Technicians to ensure the case is scheduled appropriately and proceeds without delay. Performs receptionist duties, both face-to-face and telephonically, including ACD/call room scheduling coverage, providing courteous, timely, and Veteran-centered customer service while safeguarding privacy and confidentiality. Screens and receives incoming calls, determines the nature of requests, and provides accurate information or resolution using established clinic processes and privacy regulations. Using VHA approved scheduling and appointment applications, coordinates, schedules, reschedules, and cancels appointments using advanced access principles; adjusts appointment times, dates, or locations to support contingency plans related to staffing shortages or provider availability. Shifts patients to alternate providers or clinics as needed to ensure continuity of care and compliance with mandated access standards. Manages and performs daily reviews of active and pending consults, ICB Web, VA Online Scheduling (VAOS), Open Slot Management (OSM), Audio care communications to ensure accuracy, proper disposition, and timely follow-up, as well as end-of-day review of no-show and/or patient cancellation reports and disposition accordingly. Collects, verifies, and updates Veteran demographic, verifies eligibility, and insurance information to support accurate billing, reporting, and revenue cycle activities. Notifies supervisors or clinic leadership when clinic access is suboptimal or when Veterans cannot be scheduled within required timeframes. Participates in daily team huddles and weekly team meetings focused on patient care planning and management, except when clinic coverage requirements necessitate absence. Coordinates administrative services for Veterans, family members, caregivers, the general public, and interdisciplinary staff to ensure continuity of inpatient and outpatient care. Ensures receipt, processing, and integration of medical and administrative records into the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS), including initiating scanning when required. Interprets and applies a complex body of laws, regulations, directives, and policies governing VA health care benefits and administrative operations. Develops and maintains effective working relationships with clinical and administrative staff to establish priorities and support direct patient care. Assists with workload distribution among Clinical Support Section employees in accordance with established workflows or job specialization to ensure timely completion of work. Provides guidance, direction, and oversight of Clinical Support Section employees in the absence of the supervisor. Participates in performance improvement, access management, and quality assurance initiatives to enhance clinic operations and Veteran satisfaction. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 613-23062-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Experience. No experience required. 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. Grade Determinations: GS-6 In addition to the Basic Requirements listed above, the following experience criteria and KSAs must be met when determining the grade of candidates: Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level; Experience is defined as experience that includes, but is not limited to: scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient's appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring the electronic wait list; preparing for clinic visits; monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments for areas of responsibility; ensuring encounter forms are completed in order to obtain appropriate workload credit; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information; processing all emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals; performing basic eligibility, co-pays and pre-authorization requirements for specific coverage (i.e., TRICARE, sharing agreements, etc.). AND Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 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 the 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. Assignment. For all assignments above the FPL, the higher-level duties must be of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity, and range of variety as described in this