Advance Medical Support Assistant-(Nuclear Medicine Service)

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Performs receptionist scheduler and customer service duties as assigned for proper and timely diagnosis and treatment of patients.
• Maintains appointment schedules for multiple Nuclear Medicine Service clinics with primary responsibility over General Nuclear Medicine Section.
• Ensures the Veterans are scheduled within appropriate timeframe and in a accordance with the ordering providers clinically desired date.
• Reviews schedules and ensures clinic slots are managed appropriately to maximize capacity/appropriate utilization.
• Answers questions such as those dealing with the availability of medical appointments or appointment changes for Nuclear Medicine procedures in the context of patient specific clinical need.
• Changes and cancels appointments using VISTA scheduling Software/Radiology Package for Nuclear Medicine patients using protocols established by the service.
• Maintains daily appointment schedules and generates documents/reports using appropriate software such as Nuclear Medicine Information System (NMIS) Electronic Whiteboard.
• Screens and receives phone calls in a timely courteous manner and determines the nature of requests.
• Resolves and triages informal complaints and responds to requests for non-technical information.
• Makes referrals to other Nuclear Medicine staff.
• Provides follow-up calls to patients to remind them of appointments and facilitates reschedules if necessary.
• Notifies physicians of cancelled requests patient related challenges or when a study may not be able to be completed for clinical review.
• Relays information to patients such as preparations needed for tests the status of tests proper diet activity and medicines for certain procedures and other general information.
• Reviews daily active pending orders/consults future desired dates or clinically indicated appointments and return to clinic orders for accuracy and disposition.
• Initiates locates annotates updates and files patient medical records.
• Uses word processing software to execute several office automation functions such as storing and retrieving electronic documents and files; activating printers; inserting and deleting text formatting letters reports and memoranda; and transmitting and receiving email. Uses the VistA as well as the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) to access information in the facilitys computer system
• Independently plans the work resolves problems carries out successive steps of assignments and makes adjustments using accepted standard operating procedures or practices.
• Other duties as assigned

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm
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 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 $144000 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: AdHoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000

• 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 drivers licenses or state-issued identification 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 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.

Basic Requirements:

• Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. 7407(a).
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
• Experience. 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 required.

Grandfathering Provision. Employees in VHA in this occupation under a permanent appropriate and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and/or assignment held including positive education and registration/certification where applicable. For employees who do not meet all the basic or assignment-specific requirements in this standard but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed the following provisions apply:

• 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.
• Employees retained in this occupation under this provision who subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re entry to the occupation.

Grade Determinations:
In addition to the basic requirements for employment listed above the following education and experience criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. 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).

GS-6 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level is required.

Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:

• 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.

Preferred Experience:

• Prior experience in Nuclear Medicine or Diagnostic Imaging
• Experience coordinating care for patients
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology
• Familiarity with VANTHCS Nuclear Medicine scheduling software (Vista Appointment Management Vista Radiology Package Nuclear Medicine Information Systems IPlan)
• Timekeeping and/or ADPAC experience
• Providing customer service to Veteran population

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit full performance level of this vacancy is GS6.

Physical Requirements: The work will be performed in an office/hospital setting with no unique discomforts. Employee works in close proximity to other employees. Work is performed in a clinic responsible for treating patient with a wide variety of medical problems. Lifting to 25lbs;No Lifting (over 25lbs); sitting (7 hours); walking (3 hours); reaching above shoulders (2hours); simple grasping (use of fingers; both hands required 7 hours); standing (4hours); repeated bending (3 hours); twisting (3 hours); pulling/pushing (over 25lbs); fine manipulation (includes keyboarding 7 hours)