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 Public and current Veteran Health Administration (VHA) Employees.

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

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The incumbent applies excellent judgment, multi-tasks efficiently, and works both independently and as a valued member of an interdisciplinary healthcare team. Responsibilities involve facilitating front-line patient interactions, managing confidential health information, processing documentation, overseeing lobby and communication systems, and supporting clinic operations while ensuring compliance with all relevant policies, procedures, and privacy standards. AMSA are considered chief sources of information and play an important role in accomplishing the work of the unit by performing duties below. At this level the AMSA must have the ability to multi-task, working rapidly and independently with a high degree of accuracy. The AMSA must be dependable, use good judgement and effectively/accurately analyze and evaluate all situations to ensure the veteran receives the highest quality of care. Good written and oral communication skills are essential.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Schedule and coordinate employee health appointments (pre-employment exams, annual physicals, fit-for-duty exams, immunizations, etc.) utilizing scheduling programs as mandated by your supervisor.
• Consult Management: Coordinate the scheduling/rescheduling of consults or forwarding of consults to community care using the various scheduling systems and tools. Contacts the Veteran to discuss VA and community care options, gathering the Veteran's scheduling preferences and appropriately documenting all mandatory consult scheduling elements as outlined in VHA Directive 1232, Consult Management. Responsible for tracking consult progress from file entry date to the scheduled date or cancellation of the consult.
• Maintain confidential employee health records in compliance with HIPAA and organizational policies.
• Responsible for managing incoming and outgoing digital and physical faxes.
• Distributes, receives, sorts, and delivers incoming and outgoing mail or other documents to the appropriate individuals.
• Responding to incoming correspondences, including, but not limited to, VA emails, Instant Messages, Voicemails, and Secure Messaging within the timeliness parameters as outlined by department and VHA standards.
• Appropriately complete initial paperwork for same day walk-in "triage" patients, notifies the appropriate nursing staff members and alerts clinical staff immediately of any urgent/emergent issues. Collaborates effectively with fellow SFVAHCS staff to ensure patient concerns are addressed.
• Responsible for processing view alerts per VHA policy timelines.
• Prepares clinic materials at the beginning or end of workday, per department policy.
• Maintains up to date training on VA Scheduling Requirements.
• Successfully completes all mandatory VA Training Requirements - included but not limited to Talent Management System (TMS) modules, competencies, and mandated Soft Skills training on or before the due date.
• The incumbent may provide on-the-job training to new employees in accordance with established procedures and practices and may provide feedback to the new employee.
• Ensure employee health records are accurate, complete, and compliant with organizational policies and regulatory requirements.

Other related duties may be assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm PST
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): 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)
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 662-10009F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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 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

Advanced Medical Support Assistant, GS-6

Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. 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, an 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.

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: The work is mostly sedentary. It typically requires sitting with sustained periods of concentration. There will be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of relatively light objects. The position may also require stooping, reaching, lifting, pulling, and other moderate exertion or strain. Incumbent may occasionally have to walk some distance to a meeting.

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.

Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for employment listed above, the following education and experience criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:

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.