Clarification from the agency

This position is open to current permanent Department of Veterans Affairs employees and current permanent Federal Employees of other agencies. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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The Advanced Medical Support Assistant independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of health care services in an inpatient or outpatient setting at the Castle Point Campus of VA Hudson Valley Health Care System. The incumbent works collaboratively within an interdisciplinary care team, providing specialized and expert administrative support to ensure efficient clinic operations and continuity of patient care.

Major Duties, include but are not limited to:

• Independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of health care services in an inpatient or outpatient setting.
• Advises clinical staff on current administrative processes.
• Answers phones, greets patients, and relays messages to appropriate staff inside or outside the unit.
• Schedules, cancels, and reschedules patient appointments and/or consults, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.
• Enters no-show information and monitors appointment requests from multiple electronic sources.
• Participates in huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic.
• Monitors both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility.
• Verifies and updates demographics and insurance information when patients check in for appointments.
• Coordinates administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals
• Determines appointment type based on the patient's eligibility status (e.g., TRICARE, sharing agreements, collaterals, research patients, VA employees).
• Assists with communications during inpatient-to-outpatient discharge.
• Communicates with non-VA medical facilities as needed.
• Facilitates/processes secure messaging with the patient and care team.
• Notifies patients of normal lab results.
• Develops and manages a tracking system for follow-up care, such as consults and tests.
• Monitors pre-appointment requirements to ensure readiness for patient visits (e.g., X-ray, labwork).
• Evaluates patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine vested status.
• Educates providers about shared patients (those receiving care at multiple VA facilities or in the community).
• Utilizes multiple computer applications to perform the above duties.
• Provides rotational coverage as assigned between the Montrose and Castle Point campuses.
• Other duties as assigned.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Work Schedule: Intermittent, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized.
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
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 #: 12447F
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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/examination.
• 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.
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• Licensure/Certification/Registration. None

Grandfathering Provision. 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 the basic requirements, candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for placement at the grade level specified.

Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-06:

1. Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade, GS-05.
   • GS-05, Creditable Experience: Independently performs a full range of health care service delivery duties in inpatient or outpatient settings, advising clinical staff on administrative processes. Answers phones, greets patients, relays messages, and schedules, cancels, and reschedules appointments and consults while interpreting and verifying provider orders. Tracks no shows, monitors appointment requests, participates in clinic huddles, monitors inpatient and outpatient appointments, verifies patient demographics and insurance at check in, coordinates facility transfers, and determines appointment type based on eligibility status (e.g., TRICARE, sharing agreements, collaterals, research patients, VA employees). AND,
2. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
   • 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
   • 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.
   • Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.
   • 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.
   • Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
   • 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.

Preferred Experience: One year of customer service experience, and proficiency in using computer equipment and standard office software.

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

This vacancy is above the full performance level and will be selected at the GS-06 grade.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.

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.

Areas of Consideration: Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

1. FIRST - Facility-wide (including satellites) except: For VACO unit positions, GS-12 and above, the area of consideration may be expanded.
2. SECOND - Administration or Staff office posting the vacancy.
3. THIRD - The Department or from any other appropriate source.