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Medical Support Assistant

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Loma Linda VA Healthcare System
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The Loma Linda VA Health Care System (LLVAHCS) is currently recruiting a Few Medical Support Assistants (MSA) for the fast paced, growing service: Health Administration Service.

The LLVAHCS strives to provide the highest quality primary, secondary and tertiary health care to its beneficiaries through a compassionate, innovative health care system, excellent training and education of health care professionals, and effective use of available resources.



Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
08/21/2024 to 08/30/2024
This job will close when we have received 200 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$39,114 to - $63,857 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 00 - 5
Locations
Few vacancies in the following locations:
Loma Linda, CA
March AFB, CA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
5
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
CBSX-12518613-24-SB
Control number
806023800

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Area of Consideration- Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order: 1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility. 2. All other VA employees. 3. Current permanent Federal employees of other agencies. 4. The public Due to provisions of 38 U.S.C. 7412, Annual Determination of Staffing Shortages. Veterans' Preference DOES NOT apply.

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Duties

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MSAs 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 Loma Linda VA Health Care System Hiring Managers.

Typical duties include but are not limited to:

  • Customer service and answering and returning calls to Veterans and provider offices.
  • Scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient's appointments and/or consults
  • Entering no-show information
  • Monitoring outpatient appointments for areas of responsibility
  • Obtaining medical information from patients
  • Coordinating information and actions related to patient care and services
  • Verifying and updating demographics and insurance information
  • Processing all emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals
  • Other duties as assigned
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday (8:00am - 4:30pm)
Telework: Not eligible
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • 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.
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period.
  • Subject to background/security investigation.
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
  • Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
  • Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

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:
    • Six months experience: 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.
GRADE REQUIREMENTS:

GS-3:
Experience: None, Beyond Basic Requirements listed above.
  • Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):(Candidate must demonstrate [all of] the KSAs below):
    • Ability to meet, communicate, and interact with individuals in a courteous and helpful manner in order to give instructions and arrange appointments.
    • Ability to utilize computer systems to enter administrative data in patient systems.
    • Ability to learn and utilize basic medical terminology to record patient messages and physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care.
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GS-04:
In addition to the Basic Requirements for employment listed above, the candidates must posses at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-03 grade level.
  • Experience: One year of experience in a 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: Two (2) years of education 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.
  • Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): (Candidate must demonstrate [all of] the KSAs below):
    • Ability to meet, communicate, and interact with individuals from varying backgrounds and other health care team members in a courteous and helpful manner in order to facilitate medical care for patients.
    • Ability to use, and navigate between, various types of office automation equipment and software (i.e. computer systems, web based scheduling programs; insurance collection system; scanning software, multiple line phone systems; electronic faxing programs) to support patient care.
    • Knowledge of basic medical terminology to assist in the provision of care to patients.
    • Skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care in internal or external clinics.
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GS-5 (Full Performance Level):
In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements, candidates must possess one (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-4 Grade Level.
  • Experience: One year experience equivalent to the GS-04 includes:interacting with both internal and external customers; reviewing and documenting medical outpatient and inpatient electronic health records, as well as administrative records; verifying third party insurance and updating information in the Insurance Capture Buffer (ICB) system; obtaining medical information from patients; coordinating information and actions related to patient care and services; and scheduling appointments in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.
    • Or;
  • Education: Four (4) years of education above high school.
  • Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): (Candidate must demonstrate [all of] the KSAs below):
    • Ability to operate computerized programs and systems in order to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient identifying information (PII) into or from electronic health records, scheduling systems, and/or reports.
    • Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.
    • Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting.
    • Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work.
    • Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone, with internal and external customers.
    • Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution.
References: VA Handbook 5005/53, Part II, Appendix G45, Medical Support Assistant GS-679.

The Full performance level of this vacancy is GS-05. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-03 to GS-05.

Physical Requirements: Work is generally sedentary in nature with some walking, standing and bending. Occasionally requires moderate physical activity, e.g., carrying light items such as books and papers or lifting stacks of boxes or records. Work is typically performed in an office setting; adequately lighted, quiet, and controlled atmosphere. Follows prescribed safety procedures; uses appropriate lifting methods and body mechanics for heavy lifting or moving heavy objects; reports observed potential safety hazards to appropriate personnel; removes or corrects safety hazards when possible; utilizes appropriate sanitary or aseptic techniques, when applicable.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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

Receiving Service Credit or 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.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

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.

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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

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