Summary Durham VAHCS is a complexity 1A level health care system with a main medical center and multiple outpatient care clinics. The Advanced Medical Support Assistant(AMSA) serves as the initial point-of-contact for Veteran interactions within health system clinics to conduct scheduling, re-scheduling, and cancellation of patient appointments, tracking, reviewing, and responding to electronic orders, consults, and other elements in the electronic medical record and medical systems. Responsibilities The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) serves as a member of the Durham VA Health Care System within the Health Administration (HAS) inpatient unit, operating in a Direct Care area at duty stations throughout the Health Care System. The AMSA is an essential member of the Veterans health care team and communicates effectively with clinicians, nurses, and other health professionals in support of Veteran's access to medical care. The incumbent independently executes a range of duties essential to the delivery of healthcare services in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The Advanced Medical Support assistant may be required to serve on more than one Primary Care PACT team or in more than one specialty service line, or rotate into any scheduling area as needed. Duties of the AMSA include but are not limited to: Supports patient safety standards by requiring the correct Veterans Affairs identification of all patients Coordinates and schedules veteran medical appointments Assist with communications during the inpatient-to-outpatient discharge process, Active participation in team huddles, staff meetings, and daily communication efforts to address the care needs of each Veteran Comply with established national, VISN, and local guidance, particularly VHA Directive 1230 (Outpatient Scheduling Management), and VHA Directive 1232 (Consult Management Adhere to the VA's ICARE values: Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, Excellence Understand clinic processes and available medical services throughout the Health Care System Effectively interact with Veterans and coordinate with other medical services throughout the health care system Screen and receive phone calls to determine the nature of requests and provide the information desired using privacy rules and clinic for processes. De-escalate situations involving upset, confused, or angry Veterans or caregivers utilizing appropriate communication techniques. Communicate with non-VA medical facilities to ensure effective coordination of care, during transitions from inpatient discharge to outpatient services and in obtaining necessary medical documentation from Community providers Pull reports from electronic health records and scheduling software systems to manage encounters, return to clinic orders, recall reminders, open slot management tools, and consults requiring initial or follow up scheduling actions Proficiency in electronic health records and scheduling software systems such as Vista Scheduling GUI (VSE), Consult Toolbox (CTB), Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VISTA), Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS), Consult Tracking Manager (CTM), Integrated Scheduling Solutions (ISS), Decision Support Tool (DST), My HealtheVet, Microsoft office and data dashboard tools in Pyramid Analytics and PowerBI. Support clinic access contingency plans by adjusting appointment times, locations, or dates as needed as well as shift appointments to other providers during staffing or coverage needs Assist in emergency management contingency plans for potential scheduling system outages. Use proper identification methods, verifying two forms of identification (name and full social security number and/or Veterans Health ID Card) Validate, collects, scans and update patient demographic and health insurance information Prepares various written correspondences for Veterans, including appointment notifications, normal lab result notices, and pre-appointment instructions Prevent unauthorized data release, loss, alteration, or deletion Perform a variety of duties in support of data entry and collection for the unit. Assist with communications during the inpatient-to-outpatient discharge process, Assist with service access contingency plans by adjusting appointment times, location, or dates and coverage areas This list of job duties is not inclusive of all duties associated with this position. Work Schedule: 3:30p- 12:00am, Monday-Friday (alternating holidays and weekends) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 0000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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. 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: 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.). 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. Experience and Education: 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: In addition to meeting the basic requirements listed above, you must meet the grade requirements at the GS-5 level to qualify for this position. GS-6 Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) Specialized Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. This includes but is not limited to; independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting; advises clinical staff on current administrative processes; answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit; interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guideline; Scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; participating in team huddles to determine the daily needs of the clinic; monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when patients check-in for appointments; coordinating administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals and determines appointment @type based on the patient's eligibility status (i.e., TRICARE, sharing agreements, collaterals, research patient, VA employee, etc.) In addition, you must have experience which demonstrates the following knowledge, skills and abilities: 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 inter disciplinary 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 clinician. 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-6. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. This is mostly a sedentary position. There was be some light lifting up to 25lbs, bending, standing, stooping, walking. This position will require you to work in from of a computer screen for 90% of your day. 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information This announcement will remain open until the closing date, March 26, 2026, or when the applicant count is reached, whichever is earlier. The applicant count is the point at which the first 50 applications are received. All applications submitted that day up to 11:59 p.m. eastern standard time on the date the applicant count is reached will be accepted and considered. 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.
