Clarification from the agency

This vacancy is open to current, permanent employees of the Veterans Health Administration. Most recent SF-50 is required for eligibility. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. 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.

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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

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: SeeVA 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.

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.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

• Customer Service
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Teamwork

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.