Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to Current Federal employees of the Kansas City VA Medical Center ONLY. Resume and SF-50 are Required. All other applicants can apply to announcement CBSS-12753806-25-PE

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The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) for the Kansas City VA Medical Center (KCVAMC) is located within Business Office Service (BOS) and provides support to various clinics throughout the Kansas City VA Healthcare network.

Duties of the position include but are not limited to:

• Receives patients/family members/visitors in person or telephonically.
• Records and relays messages and/or redirects calls or performs scheduling changes as necessary.
• Obtain identifying information and determine the nature of the call.
• Refers patients to the Triage Nurse when appropriate.
• Schedules appointments and provides information regarding outpatient clinics.
• Enters and/or retrieves information and data from the Clinical Information System.
• Completes consult requests through the advice of the physician with the use of Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS).
• Type administrative notes using various automation systems and programs to accomplish work, such as text editing, maintains and retrieval use of messaging by using e-mail.
• Maintains and monitors patient appointment schedules for the facility, and communicates delays in scheduled appointments to the appropriate staff and patients.
• Coordinates and/or schedules patient appointments with other clinics or specialties.
• Manages, schedules and monitor consult requests and various orders/requests for specialty and/or diagnostic services.
• Perform check-in and check-out of patients for their appointments; verify and edit each patient's demographics information; verify insurance information by using Insurance Capture Buffer (ICB) system; scheduling appointments in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.
• Refer eligibility enrollment and means test when necessary to the appropriate area.
• Upon leaving the outpatient clinic area, the MSA ensures that the patients are scheduled according to physician order requisition.
• Knowledge of scheduling appointments but not limited to re-scheduling, cancelling, no-show, and recall reminders.

Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:00pm
Telework: No Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 00000
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.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• 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 dentification 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).

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.
• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.j.

• Experience: Six months experience of clerical, office, customer service, or other administrative work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position;

• Education: One year above high school;

• Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.
• Grandfathering Provision: All MSAs employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, which are a part of the basic requirements for the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:(1) Such employees may be reassigned, promoted or changed to a lower grade within the occupation.(2) 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 this standard.(3) If an employee was converted to Title 38 hybrid status under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment listed above, the following requirements are needed to be found eligible for each grade level.

Medical Support Assistant GS-3 grade level:

Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements.

AND

Candidates MUST demonstrate ALL of the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) below.

• Ability to meet, communicate, and interact with individuals in a courteous and helpful manner in order to give instructions and arrange appointments.
• Ability to utilize computer systems to enter administrative data in patient systems.
• Ability to learn and utilize basic medical terminology to record patient messages and physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care.

Medical Support Assistant GS-4 grade level:

One (1) year of experience in clerical, office, customer service, or other administrative work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position;

OR

Two (2) years of education above high school.

AND

Candidates MUST demonstrate ALL of the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) below.

• Ability to meet, communicate, and interact with individuals from varying backgrounds and other health care team members in a courteous and helpful manner in order to facilitate medical care for patients.
• Ability to use, and navigate between, various types of office automation equipment and software (i.e. computer systems, web based scheduling programs; insurance collection system; scanning software, multiple line phone systems; electronic faxing programs) to support patient care.
• Knowledge of basic medical terminology to assist in the provision of care to patients.
• Skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care in internal or external clinics.

Medical Support Assistant GS-5 grade level:

One year of experience equivalent to the GS-4 grade level;

OR

Four years of education above high school.

AND

Candidates MUST demonstrate ALL of the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) below.

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

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-05. The actual grade at which an applicant will be selected for this vacancy is GS-05.

Physical Requirements: The majority of work is performed in an office setting, primarily while seated. The position requires some standing, ambulation, bending and carrying of items such as training manuals. In addition, there can be increased stress due to the intensity of a patient/customer complaint or concern.

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.