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Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Mountain Home VA Healthcare System - Bristol Community Based Outreach Clinic (CBOC)

Summary

The Advanced Level Medical Support Assistant (MSA) collaborates with other members of the healthcare team in the clinic to provide a robust interdisciplinary approach to care. Important interfaces and collaborations also occur with larger health care system providers including VA and non-VA specialists, hospitals, diagnostic and treating facilities, and community-based programs. The incumbent performs duties related to the receipt, intake, and indexing of health and administrative information.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted yesterday · Apply by 07/13/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 13, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$47,903 - $62,274 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 6
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Excepted Service
Represented by a union
Yes
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
CBTG-12999040-26-CJK
Control number
875367300

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. Open to current permanent Mt Home VA Medical Center employees. NOTE: A current (2026) non-award SF-50 must be submitted for verification.

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Duties

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The Medical works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model (i.e., patient aligned care team, or other specialty care setting where the patient aligned care team model is used such as oncology, eye, SCI, Military Sexual Trauma, etc.). Major duties include, but are not limited to:

  • Coordinates with the patient care team to review the clinic utilization by using various reports (e.g., Clinic Utilization Statistical Summary),
  • Ensures that the clinic setup is closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinic, and make any necessary adjustments,
  • Develops/maintains effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary team, management team, VA medical centers, and other agencies;
  • Participates in team huddles and team meetings to manage and plan patient care;
  • Sets priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs;
  • Works with the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions and entering appropriate information into the electronic record;
  • Monitors pre-appointment requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure (e.g., X-ray, lab work);
  • Manages electronic wait list to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues;
  • Participates and provides input in problem solving on operational issues or procedures in team meetings, performing administrative follow up actions;
  • Participates in and independently following up on team huddles by sharing information and collaborating with the medical team to assure continuity of care;
  • Evaluates patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether patient is vested;
  • Educates providers about shared patients (those who receive their care at multiple VAs or those who have care in the community) and bringing to the attention of the provider.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:45 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Telework: Ad-hoc telework may be authorized at the discretion of the supervisor.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 40506-F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

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.
  • 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. None.
  • Education. High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
  • Licensure/Certification/Registration. None.
  • Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials.
  • Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.
  • English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. ยง 7403(f).
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).

GS-6 Grade Determinations: To qualify at this level, candidates must have: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. Examples of credible experience at this level include, but are not limited to: scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; participating in huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff 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; coordinates administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other clinical/medical facilities or private hospitals and determines appointment type based on the patient's eligibility status.
AND
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) . In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.
  4. 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.
  5. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
  6. 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.
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: Typically, the Advanced Medical Support Assistant must be able to operate a computer terminal and be able to manage multiple activities at one time. Work is generally sedentary; however, there may be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items. Work Environment: The work may be stressful due to the accelerated pace for several hours at a time during peak clinic hours or on days that have a large volume of clinic activity.

Education

There is no substitution of education for experience at this grade level.

Additional information

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.

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

Veterans Health Administration

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

The VA Midsouth Healthcare Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care within a High Reliability Organization (HRO). Veterans and employees are empowered to achieve optimal health and well-being through a Whole Health model that connects with what matters most. Employees will commit to transforming every interaction from transactional to relational through personal health planning.

Johnson City, located in upper East Tennessee, is a cultural melting pot with invigorating music, amazing outdoor activities, and enchanting culture and history. Local festivals include the Umoja Festival, Blue Plum Festival, The Unicoi Apple Festival, and the Rhythm and Roots Reunion in Bristol TN/VA. Enjoy year-round outdoor activities at our area lakes and parks. Other attractions in the area are the Barter Theater, Bristol Motor Speedway, and Asheville, NC's Biltmore Estate. Come and enjoy an affordable cost of living, no state income tax, and excellent schools and universities! Start your adventure in Johnson City, Tennessee! A Hometown Heart with a Big City Soul!

Agency contact information

Christopher Kirmse
Phone
(785) 350-3111 X52966
Email
christopher.kirmse@va.gov
Address
James H Quillen VA Medical Center
Corner of Lamont Street and Veterans Way
Mountain Home, TN 37684
US

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