Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)-Primary Care/ Mobile Medical Unit

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant assigned to the Mobile Medical Unit provides high level administrative and patient support services that directly impact access to care for Veterans residing in rural and underserved communities.

The incumbent ensures accurate appointment coordination, patient flow management, communication and administrative functions that enable the MMU clinical team to deliver timely and high-quality healthcare services.

The role requires advanced customer service skills, independent decision making, and a comprehensive understanding of VA regulations, scheduling protocols, eligibility requirements, requiring adaptability, reliability, and a commitment to excellent patient service.

The incumbent serves as the primary administrative support for the Mobile Medical Unit (MMU), acting as the first point of contact for patients, families, and staff.

This position is responsible for a wide range of frontline duties, including scheduling appointments, managing patient flow, educating patients on clinic processes, and ensuring accurate documentation and compliance with privacy regulations.

The incumbent coordinates administrative activities that facilitate efficient, patient-centered care and supports seamless transitions across clinic locations. Additionally, the role promotes organizational values, maintains high professional standards, and ensures operational continuity during MMU downtime or at alternate duty sites.

Through strong communication, attention to detail, and collaboration with interdisciplinary teams, the incumbent contributes directly to the delivery and improvement of healthcare services for Veterans.

Serves as the primary point of contact for patients, families, and staff, providing clear, courteous, and professional assistance in person, by phone, and through electronic communication platforms.

Triages incoming inquiries to determine urgency, gathers required information, and ensures appropriate routing or resolution in accordance with established policies and service standards.

Schedules, cancels, and reschedules patient appointments using established scheduling protocols, ensuring accuracy of clinic availability, patient demographics, and insurance information.

Educates patients on clinic processes, required documentation, appointment preparation, follow-up steps, and available support services, adjusting communication style to meet the needs of diverse populations.

Resolves routine service issues independently and escalates complex concerns to supervisors or clinical staff when appropriate, ensuring timely and thorough follow-through. Completes check-in/check-out procedures, and ensures a welcoming, respectful environment for all visitors.

Documents customer interactions and service outcomes accurately in electronic systems to support continuity of care and organizational performance monitoring. Ensures compliance with privacy laws and confidentiality standards when handling patient information, questions, and documentation.

Prepares patients for their visits by ensuring required documentation, forms, and pre-visit information are complete and ready for the care team. Supports care delivery before, during, and after encounters by coordinating administrative activities that facilitate smooth and timely patient care.

Monitors telehealth and on-site appointment requirements, ensuring patients meet necessary criteria for successful visit completion.

Work Schedule: Monday to Thursday 7:00am to 5:30 Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.

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 [work experience] or 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 #: 55984-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

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. 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 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: Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-6 Experience.

One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.

Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: (a) 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.

(b) 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.

(c) Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.

(d) 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.

(e) Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations. (f) 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: At the advanced level, 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.

Preferred Experience: 1 year experience working in a clinical environment. 1 year experience scheduling patients in a medical appointment software. 1 year experience managing patient communications (e.g., telephone and/or communication programs). 1 year experience with documenting appropriate information into an electronic medical record programs/databases. 1 year of administrative/phone customer service skills, in de-escalation, problem solving, decision making, and strong tactful communication skills orally and in writing.

Ability to provide active listening skills and multitask. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. 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 of the Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) assigned to the Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) is primarily sedentary; however, the position requires enough physical capacity to support mobile clinic operations across multiple deployment sites.

The incumbent must be able to perform light-to-heavy lifting, including carrying materials and equipment weighing up to 45 pounds, as well as lighter loads under 15 pounds.

The role requires periods of walking and standing, along with intermittent pushing, kneeling, bending, climbing, and reaching above shoulder level as needed during MMU setup, patient flow coordination, and movement of supplies.

The AMSA must have the manual dexterity necessary for keyboarding, documentation, and handling office and telehealth equipment, along with the ability to maintain rapid mental and muscular coordination during high-volume administrative tasks.

Adequate near and far vision (correctable), depth perception, basic color distinction, and sufficient hearing (with hearing aid permitted) are required to perform duties safely and effectively.