Clarification from the agency

This is an INTERNAL ANNOUNCEMENT and is limited to current permanent employees of the St. Cloud VA Health Care System to include CBOC's and current permanent VA Nationwide employees. The public and employees of other Federal agencies should apply to announcement number CBSY-13046054-26-GPA.--NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Videos

Specific Functions:
The incumbent uses VistA, CPRS, VSE, CTM, ISS computer systems daily, including the keyboard and printer. The incumbent answers questions and provides information and daily activities include the following:
- Working directly with patients who have been instructed to request a new appointment to schedule and provide patient instructions on test preparation, diets and procedural requirements.
- Seeking out available appointments with multiple staff members and services to coordinate Telehealth appointments.
- Programs the VistA printer to generate notices to outpatients concerning failed and rescheduled appointments. Reviews output to ensure that appropriate information is generated and ensures that inappropriate letters are discarded.
- Utilizes and follows up on Audio Care Reminder calls for all Physical/Occupational/ Speech Therapies and Chiropractic clinics including Community Based Outpatient Clinics and VISN providers.
- Produces and distributes daily schedules to professional staff.
- Pre-registration as needed with checking patients in for appointments.
- Demonstrates the ability to work in all rehabilitation clinical areas with minimal guidance.

Receives, interviews, and routes individuals for either inpatient or outpatient care to the appropriate care team or setting. Maintains daily contact with professional services personnel giving outpatient/inpatient care to ensure the best possible liaison between patient and health care system personnel.
Accepts telephone calls from Veterans, relatives, service officers, etc. regarding outpatient/inpatient treatment and transportation.
Receives and responds to unclear inquiries concerning a variety of medical, personnel, and administrative matters. Determines general nature of inquiry and independently responds to all administrative questions. Recognizes and refers urgent inquiries to professional staff for immediate action.
Reviews medical records of outpatients/inpatients to ensure that requested appointments are made for the professional staff and diagnostic services.
Schedules and receives consults and orders for Physical/Occupational/Speech Therapies, Chiropractic Services including Montevideo, Alexandra and Brainerd, and REC Yoga orders based on established scheduling policies and procedures from VHA directive.
Utilizes Appointment Management Supervisor Menu to facilitate efficient scheduling of appointments including accurately and appropriately closing all rehab clinics for provider leave, meetings or continuing education.
Update, review, and utilize the Unable to Schedule list to accurately reflect patients waiting to schedule an appointment.
Processes all health care providers ordered accurately. Seeks clarification of orders when appropriate.
Promptly and accurately initiates and checks on status of referrals, lab and x-ray procedures, completing required forms with appropriate patient identification.
Makes numerous calls each day to coordinate information and actions relating to patient care and services. Relays information and requests from the patients to the treatment team and within the treatment team. Ensures that escort services and transportation are properly arranged. Pages and locates clinic staff for patient services and consultation.
Accurately and timely performs clerical work in support of the care and treatment given to patients such as receiving patients or maintaining patient files. Performs clerical level work to procure supplies and services to meet the procurement requirements of the unit or department.
Processes incoming and outgoing materials such as correspondence, reports, memoranda, and other forms of written communication. Performs the following types of duties: edit letters, composes letters and reports, reviews correspondence for accuracy and completeness, transcribes meeting minutes and replies to inquiries.
Actively seeks and schedules Telehealth services for appropriate and active Telehealth services.
Assists in mentoring students or training new or less experienced employees.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4pm or 8am-4:30pm
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
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

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.
Grandfathering Provision: Employees in VHA in this occupation, under a permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and/or assignment held, including positive education and registration/certification where applicable. For employees who do not meet all the basic or assignment-specific requirements in this standard but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply:

1. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
2. Employees retained in this occupation under this provision who subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

NOTE: This provision is not intended to regularize appointments/placements.

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. § 7403(f).

Grade Determinations:

Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) GS-6

Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level, which includes, but not limited to:

1. 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.
2. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients
3. Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting
4. Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work
5. Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone, with internal and external customers
6. Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution.

AND

Demonstrate 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, and 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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:
1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility.
2. All other VA employees.

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.