Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. This Job announcement is open to the Internal Employees of the Veteran Affairs, the Public, and Federal/Veterans/Other Eligible Candidates.

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Major Duties Include:

• The incumbent(s) must review the Incomplete Encounter Management Module (IEMM) report to clean up any discrepancies in administrative data that would prevent the transmission of encounters.
• Reviews, verifies, and analyzes data submitted for consistency with financial and program objectives, and adherence to VA directives.
• Coordinates and schedules initial primary care appointments for newly enrolled Veterans in accordance with VA access standards.
• Incumbent will be involved in an extremely complex blend of computing technology, medical information, communication skills and leadership qualities in a rapidly changing environment.
• Incumbent will assist the Public Affairs Office as well as other Services at VATVCBHCS with community activities such as (but not limited to) Health Fairs, Homeless Veterans Stand Downs, and Post Deployment Health Re-assessment (PDHRA).
• Incumbent will also assure that all new veterans to the system are registered within 7 days of receipt of their application.
• The incumbent is expected to provide exceptional customer service by exceeding the customer's expectations.
• The incumbent will actively listen to customers with respect and concern; will pay attention to the details of the customer's needs and help the customer arrive at a satisfactory solution to the problem.
• The incumbent will be flexible, adaptive and enthusiastic to exceed the customer's needs.
• Incumbent will also be responsible for assisting with patient vesting and will ensure appropriate monitoring and reporting is accomplished within established time frames.
• Incumbent may be asked to perform duties in other areas of the Health Administration Service and provide back-up as needed.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Telework: Adhoc Eligible
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 55554F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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 $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 $416.66.
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)

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 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.

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:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

• Experience and Education.
  • Six months experience of clerical, office, customer service, or other administrative work that indicates the ability to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position; OR high school diploma with desire of some post high school education or equivalent experience.
  • Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.
• Certification. None required.
• Foreign Education: To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs.
• 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.

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: Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-06

• Experience. Once year of experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level

Preferred Experience:

• 1 year experience working in a clinical environment coordinating clinic schedules for providers
• 1 year experience scheduling patients in medical appointment software in an interdisciplinary coordinated delivery model
• 1 year experience managing patient communications in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model (e.g. telephone and/or email)
• 1 year experience documenting appropriate information into an electronic medial record
• 1 year of administrative/office customer service skills in de-escalation, problem solving, decision making, and tactful communication skills orally and in in writing

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-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-06.

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.

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.