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Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)-Ward Administration Inpatient 3rd Shift

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Orlando VA Healthcare System

Summary

This position is located in the Health Administration Service (HAS) at the Orlando VA Medical Center. This position serves as a Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), and provides medical support assistance to the Ward Administration Inpatient, 3rd shift, within the medical treatment facility.

Overview

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Accepting applications
This job will close when we have received 30 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Location
4 vacancies in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$49,261 - $64,039 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
No
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
CBTC-13089274-27-LH
Control number
888874400

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This job is open to current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs employees, current permanent Federal employees of other agencies and all US Citizens. First area of consideration is Orlando VA HCS Employees, other current and permanent VA employees, other current permanent federal employees, and U.S. citizens. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Videos

Duties

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The Advanced Medical Support Assistant is responsible for the accuracy of patient information and the coordination of all administrative information between the professional staff and the patient. This includes updating and verifying demographic information, scheduling appointments, collecting insurance information, data entry, administratively managing inpatient rosters and bed assignments through Veterans Health Information and Technology Architecture (VISTA}, Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) and Bed Management Systems (BMS), as well as notifying the patient regarding his/her appointment schedule, and verifying physician orders in CPRS. The incumbent must also utilize Vista Scheduling Enhancements (VSE) for all appointment scheduling. The incumbent must provide excellent customer service and must adhere to VA local, National, and Service policies and procedures. He/she must maintain confidentiality agreements, abide by HIPPA laws, and exhibit ethical conduct at all times. Employee must complete and adhere to necessary annual VHA training requirements offered in the Talent Management System (TMS) or locally face to face. The incumbent in this assignment supports the Inpatient Units/Emergency Department (ED) of the Medical Center and can be pulled to work in any uniUward, due to staffing levels and workplace needs. He/she plays a key role in the VHA Network Performance Measures for Revenue, Customer Service, Access to Care, and overall quality.

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant is responsible for processing newly admitted patients, reviewing physician orders and acting on such orders that are within the scope of function of a MSA, such as arranging for tests and procedures, verifying the opt-in status of patients and patient demographics. The incumbent will assist Nursing and the Clinical Services in entering and overseeing the accuracy of patient information that is displayed in the Bed Management System (BMS), VISTA and CPRS. This individual is responsible to inform proper staff of pertinent information including, but not limited to, the collection of insurance information, changes in demographic information, Advance Directive which cannot be located, or the desire of the patient to complete an Advance Directive. Assist health care staff in completing release of information forms as required. The incumbent will process and verify physicians' orders that are written and electronically entered into CPRS and ensures proper entry into VISTA and CPRS. The incumbent will participate in the hospital's contingency plan by maintaining and utilizing all contingency forms, being knowledgeable of contingency procedures and maintaining electronic contingency information. The incumbent will document and coordinate patient movements and maintain a current inpatient roster of the ward/unit. If needed, the individual would be required to research patient records for information pertaining to current hospitalization, i.e., Advanced Directives, Allergy Information and H&P. They will be responsible for updating the Seriously Ill data as appropriate in VISTA.

As an Advanced Medical Support Assistant, the in incumbent is responsible for serving as a subject matter expert for his/her co-workers. He/she will be required to run productivity audits and assist in the training of Medical Support Assistants. Conducts patient/employee surveys, interviews, observes workflow, guides patients through hospital system, makes referrals, documents complaints, provides follow-up and suggests resolutions to supervisor. Incumbent intervenes to resolve difficult problems and diffuses potential dissatisfaction with VA services in order to prevent congressional and adverse publicity. Serves as technical advisor and liaison with contacts at all levels. Incumbent must completely understand and be able to explain complex regulations and eligibility criteria concerning veterans' entitlements and VA benefits, priorities for care, access to care and advanced clinic access.

Work Schedule: 11:30pm to 8:00am or 3:30pm to 12:00am rotating weekends/holidays
Virtual: This is not a virtual position
Functional Statement #: 80546F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
  • To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 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.
  • 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.
  • 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).

Grade Determinations: In addition to meeting the basic requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates.

Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-06
  • Experience: One (1) year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade. Examples of experience 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.
In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (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-06.

Physical Requirements: The physical demands of the work requires use of fingers; moderate walking and standing; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in on eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; hearing aid permitted; clear speech; emotional stability; moderate duty.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

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.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

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.

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.

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

  1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility.
  2. All other VA employees.
  3. Current permanent Federal employees of other agencies.
  4. All other applicants.
This occupation is listed on the OIG Determination of Veterans Health Administration's Occupational Staffing Shortages Fiscal Year (FY26). Therefore, this vacancy announcement is exempt from Veterans Preference.

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.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:



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 Orlando VA Healthcare System provides health care services at 12 locations serving east central Florida. Facilities include our Orlando VA Medical Center and 11 community-based outpatient clinics in Clermont, Daytona Beach, Deltona, Kissimmee, Orlando, Palm Bay, Port Orange, Tavares, Viera, and Winter Park. We also have a mobile care unit that is based at our Winter Park VA Clinic for Veterans who are unable to visit our hospital or outpatient clinics.

The Orlando VA Healthcare System is one of the leading health care systems serving Veterans in the VA Sunshine Health Care Network. We're an innovative care center within the Veterans Integrated Service Network 8 (VISN 8), which includes medical centers and clinics in Florida, Georgia, and the Caribbean.

Agency contact information

Lisa Hines
Phone
610-383-0236
Email
Lisa.Hines2@va.gov
Address
Orlando VA Medical Center
13800 Veterans Way
Orlando, FL 32827
US

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