Program Support Assistant Jobs in Buckeye, AZ (NOW HIRING)

Summary
The Phoenix VA Health Care System is seeking highly energetic candidates to fill the Intermittent Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) vacancies within the Office Of Community Care Service. Ideal candidate's resume will articulate exceptional skills in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns and ensure overall customer satisfaction and resolution, ability to operate computerized programs, and scheduling of appointments.
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Duties
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Please read the entire posting. This is an intermittent position with no guaranteed hours. Work is on an as-needed basis.
VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional
CRITICAL SHORTAGE LIST: 38 U.S.C. § 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference to external applicants for appointments made during the fiscal year to hybrid title 38 occupations among those reported to have the largest staffing shortages.
Advanced Medical Support Assistants (AMSAs) interact with both internal and external customers providing exceptional customer service and ensuring overall customer satisfaction. Candidates will be reviewed for minimum qualifications as outlined in the qualifications section of this announcement and referred to the Northern Arizona VA Health Care System Hiring Managers.
Duties include but are not limited to:

• Performs duties related to receipt, intake, indexing, and coordination of health and administrative information for Community Care referrals.
• Coordinates consult review, scheduling, and documentation required for Community Care services.
• Interfaces with clinical and administrative staff, community providers, contract vendors, and third-party administrators to coordinate Veteran Community Care.
• Maintains effective communication with Veterans, VA Medical Centers, community providers, and interdisciplinary team members.
• Coordinates receipt and return of outside medical records through CPRS/VistA imaging systems.
• Ensures Community Care consults are processed, completed, and closed when treatment and documentation are received.
• Assists with coordination of hospital notifications and emergent Community Care treatment.
• Provides Veterans instructions regarding appointments, procedures, preparation, and specialty care requirements.
• Serves as liaison between VA staff, community providers, and Veterans to ensure continuity of care.
• Ensures appropriate authorizations are processed for Community Care services, including outpatient and inpatient programs.
• Uses automated systems (Vista, FBCS, CPRS, imaging systems) to arrange appointments, document care coordination, and track referrals.
• Exercises interpretive skills to apply policies, directives, technical manuals, and federal regulations related to Community Care.
• Assists in developing proposals to improve workload distribution, efficiency, productivity, and effectiveness of Community Care operations.
• Coordinates interdisciplinary care delivery and maintains communication across multiple clinical disciplines.
• Provides training to VA staff and community healthcare staff regarding Community Care and TriWest program processes.
• Independently manages priorities, adjusts workflow sequencing, and meets deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Responds to Veteran inquiries, complaints, and payment issues, including interaction with difficult or distressed individuals.
• Maintains knowledge of evolving Community Care programs, policies, and procedures.
• Ensures compliance with privacy regulations, security requirements, and patient safety standards.
• Performs customer service functions including answering calls, providing information, and resolving concerns in a courteous and timely manner.
• Participates in team meetings and collaborative care planning activities impacting Community Care services.
• Performs administrative support functions for physicians, nurses, social workers, pharmacists, and interdisciplinary healthcare teams.
• Protects sensitive patient information in accordance with the Privacy Act and applicable federal regulations.
• Performs other related duties as assigned to support Community Care program operations.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:00pm (Tour may be subject to change based on needs of the facility).
Telework: Not Authorized
Virtual: Not Authorized
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Functional Statement #: 00000
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
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 $416.66Retirement: 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)
Requirements
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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• 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 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 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.
30 Day Hiring Model
The Department of Veterans Affairs is implementing a streamlined 30-Day Hiring Model designed to accelerate hiring while maintaining the highest standards of merit-based selection. This improved process reduces traditional hiring timelines by integrating early coordination, faster assessments, and efficient pre-employment actions. Applicants can expect a more transparent, predictable, and efficient hiring journey from announcement to entry on duty.
Qualifications
30 Day Hiring Model Cont...
What Applicants Can Expect:

• Expedited Candidate Review Once the announcement closes, Human Resources will quickly review applications, issue certificates of eligible candidates the day after the announcement closes and refer applicants for hiring manager consideration.
• Quick Interviews & References

HR may arrange interviews and will request references within 3-5 days after being referred to the hiring manager.

• Streamlined Pre-Employment Requirements: Following a tentative offer, applicants should be prepared to complete required steps, such as fingerprinting and background check, credentialing, and medical examination within 3 days of the offer.
• Clear and Timely Communication: Applicants will receive clear communication at key milestones, including referral, tentative offer, and onboarding instructions.

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. 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:
  
  • Education. Must have 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.
• 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: (1) 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. (2) 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. NOTE: This provision is not intended to regularize appointments/ placements.

Grade Determinations:In addition to the basic requirements, the following education and experience criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:
Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-6 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:1. 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.2. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.3. 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.4. 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.5. 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.6. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians
Assignment. The Advanced MSA provides 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. Recommends 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. MSAs at this level develop and/or maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model teams , VA medical centers, and other agencies (e.g., assist with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge; communicate with non-VA medical facilities; prepare correspondence to notify patients o