Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Videos

VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo

The incumbent will receive direction from Lead MSAs and Supervisory MSAs and is responsible for providing administrative support to assigned areas, either in an inpatient unit and/or outpatient clinic area that is assigned to the Acute Care Nursing Division.

Major Duties:

• Interacting with both internal and external customers.
• Professionally serves as area's communication liaison through the operation of a multi-line telephone and paging system.
• Establish patient records, and/or routing patient records accurately and appropriately to be scanned into the patient's electronic medical records via the file room.
• Coordinate information and actions related to patient care and services.
• Interpret and verify provider orders and demonstrating complete established administrative action for each order.
• Schedule appointments in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.
• Monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments for areas of responsibility.
• Verify and update patient demographics upon discharge.
• Enter work orders for their assigned areas and maintaining adequate and appropriate levels of office supplies; timekeeping duties as assigned.
• Prepare for scheduled admissions to include giving scheduled admission list to each days admitting team.
• Update BMS multiple times during the shift based on interpreting physician's orders.
• Update insurance information in the Insurance Capture Buffer (ICB) system.
• Obtain phone numbers for family members waiting upon check in for procedure.
• Ensure encounter forms are completed in order to obtain appropriate workload credit.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 3:00pm - 11:30pm Every other weekend, rotating Holidays.
Compressed/Flexible:Not available.
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized.
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Not available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 00096F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not authorized.

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.
• 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.
• 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

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:
Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with the VA policy.
English: Must be proficient in basic written and spoken English
Education/experience:

• Experience. No experience required.
• Education. Must possess a High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.

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-5:
Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-4 grade level. Experience at this level include, but are not limited to: scheduling and rescheduling patients for treatment; interviewing patients for appointments; referring patients to other medical specialty clinics; providing information to patients necessary to resolve VA Handbook complaints; 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: Two years of education above high school;
AND,
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Candidates 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

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Note: Please ensure how you meet these KSAs is clearly described in your resume; we may not make assumptions regarding your experience

References: VA Handbook 5005/117 Part II Appendix G45 Medical Support Assistant Qualification Standard GS-0679 Veterans Health Administration August 1, 2019. please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-5.
Physical Requirements: The employee must be able to travel to spoke sites for training and program implementation. The incumbent must be able to bend, walk, lift to 15 pounds, drive a motor vehicle, and st

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.