Medical Support Assistant

The MSA performs duties related to support of services on the inpatient med-surgical, critical care, psychiatric, extended, and PACU care units of the hospital. The employee performs clerical/administrative duties that support the inpatient care processes during the length of stay. The MSA is an integral part of the interdisciplinary team and provides support for the care process across the division.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Duties Include but are not limited to:

• Interpreting and verifying provider orders and securing hospital follow up appointments for discharged patients.
• Receiving admissions and lodgers.
• Performing patient discharges, inter-ward transfers and transfers to other facilities.
• Monitors both inpatient and outpatient appointments, have appointments cancelled and rescheduled; sends patients to X-ray, lab, EKG, and other clinics.
• Prioritizes events that arise throughout the day and coordinates the Units daily schedules.
• Serves as the unit main point of contact and information.
• Receives multiple calls and provides information to various medical staff, clinics, and patient families; provides orientation to staff, patients, and visitors;
• Performs data entry in VISTA and CPRS, Bed Management System, and patient wristband information.
• Builds and updates medical records and extracts information for review.
• Utilizes Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, and Outlook; performs office work such as document scanning, filing, faxing, copying, and ordering supplies and forms.
• Performs clerical and administrative work in support of the care and treatment given to patients on an inpatient unit of the medical facility such as Hospice, Surgical, Medical, Telemetry, Oncology, Psychiatric, Progressive Care Unit, Intensive Care Unit, and the Operating Room.

Work Schedule: 3:30pm - 12:00am with rotating weekends and holidays
Telework: May be approved on an ad-hoc basis at the discretion of the supervisor.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: GS-5: 60763-F, GS4: 61008-F, GS-3 6137F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

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: Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• Experience and/or Education requirement
  • Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade; or
  • Education. Two years above high school
• Licensure/Certification/Registration. None
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable o 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.

Medical Support Assistant, GS-4

• Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade. Examples of credible experience at this level include, but are not limited to: apply general rules and policies relating to clinic functions, staff, and automated data processing methods in support of treatment to patients, utilize a variety of patient data systems in scheduling patients for treatment and annotate patient records; performs front desk duties, receive telephone call, and visitors to the clinic, make and cancel appointments, review patient records for necessary information, and review patient demographics and insurance verification; and consult with clinic staff when processing physician scheduling and administrative orders; OR,
• Education. One years of education above high school.

AND

• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
  1. Knowledge of basic medical terminology to assist in the provision of care to patients.
  2. Skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care in internal or external clinics.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

GS-05 - Grade Determination

• Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-4 grade level. Creditable experience at this level include, but are not limited to: scheduling and rescheduling patients for treatment; interviewing patients for appointments; referring patients to other medical specialty clinics; providing information to patients necessary to resolve complaints; interacting with both internal and external customers; reviewing and documenting medical outpatient and inpatient electronic health records, as well as administrative records; verifying third party insurance and updating information; obtaining medical information from patients; coordinating information and actions related to patient care and services; and scheduling appointments in accordance with scheduling guidelines. OR,
• Education. Two years of education above high school.

AND

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

Note: You must provide detailed information of your experience performed. Information such as "I was a Medical Support Assistant" is insufficient to determine your qualifications. Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hour worked per week.

Preferred Experience: None

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-5. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to GS-5.

Physical Requirements: The work is mainly sedentary but requires some bending, walking, standing and the carrying of such things as patient records, supplies and inter-office mail.

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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/.

• 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 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).
• 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.