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This is an open continuous announcement until June 27, 2025. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available.

DUTIES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

• Receives patients and visitors in person or telephonically.
• Verifies benefit eligibility determinations. outlines the medical care benefits to which the patient has entitlement.
• Obtains all key information needed and initiates administrative processing of basic requests and forms.
• Checks patients in for appointments for designated Department.
• Maintains and monitors patient appointment schedules for the unit/clinic and communicates delays in scheduled appointments to the appropriate staff and patients.
• Coordinates and/or schedules patient appointments with other clinics or specialties.
• Responds to questions from patients concerning services.
• Receives and handles concerns ensuring that quality service is rendered in a timely competent and caring manner.
• Performs clerical work in support of the care and treatment given to patients such as receiving patients and maintaining patient files.
• Assumes responsibility for all phone calls to designated Department, including both patient and staff inquires and complaints. Triages phone calls to the appropriate provider as warranted by the situation.
• Resolves all clinical and administrative issues by working with various members of the department team in the time frame dictated by the situation (emergent or non-emergent) and communicates resolution to the relevant party.
• Contacts patients scheduled for clinic appointments and procedures and if appointment/procedure will be canceled or rescheduled. Reschedules appointments appropriately and informs clinic providers of the patient's condition and request to cancel.
• Manages clinic profile changes, or cancellations, and is responsible for new clinic set up.
• Sets up and monitors electronic wait list (EWL) as necessary.
• Sets up and manages clinic recall list for established patients.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

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

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.
• English Language Proficiency: Advanced Medical Support Assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Policy.
• Experience and Education:
  • 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; OR,
  • Education: One year above high school; OR,
  • Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.

Creditable Experience Knowledge of MSA Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with current MSA responsibilities or an equivalent administrative patient support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment as an MSA or an equivalent position in a non-VA hospital or clinic setting.

Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to MSA experience [or equivalent administrative clinical support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting] at the next lower grade level. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty), and a range of varieties as described in this standard, at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.

Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as an MSA or equivalent administrative patient support in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, an MSA employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive one full-time workweek of credit for each two weeks of service. 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:

• Medical Support Assistant, GS-3
  • Experience or Education: None beyond the basic requirements.
  • Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Candidates must demonstrate all of] the KSAs below:
    1. Ability to meet, communicate, and interact with individuals in a courteous and helpful manner in order to give instructions and arrange appointments.
    2. Ability to utilize computer systems to enter administrative data in patient systems.
    3. 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
  • Experience: One 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,
  • Education: Two years of education above high school.
  • Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Candidates must demonstrate [all of] the KSAs below:
    1. 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].
    2. 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].
    3. Knowledge of basic medical terminology to assist in the provision of care to patients.
    4. 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
  • Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the [GS-4] grade level; OR,
  • Education: Four years of education above high school.
  • Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Candidates must demonstrate [all of] the KSAs below:
    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.

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.