Medical Support Assistant

The incumbent serves as a Medical Support Assistant (MSA) in the Occupational Health Program (OHP) of the Primary Care Service. The incumbent serves as the Office Manager for the OHP to facilitate ongoing employee health care, the smooth running of the office and clinic, provider needs, and Occupational Medicine Residency Program as it relates to the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital.

The incumbent performs a variety of miscellaneous duties in support of the OHP and the USF OM Residency Program (as it relates to the VA). These duties are listed below:

• Maintains Program files for over 5,000 employees.
• Performs all task necessary for maintaining equipment and supplies as specified by the OHO, Physician Assistant, and the Administrative Officer of the Primary Care Service. Orders supplies and maintains inventory for the OHP.
• Maintains Daily Log of all encounters as well as a separate log for Workers' Compensation cases.
• Daily checks and distributes mail located in the Office of the Chief, Primary Care Service.
• Completes encounter forms for all appointments. Handles Encounter Actions Required as directed.
• Takes and transcribes minutes of OHP Staff Meetings, providing copies to the Chief of Primary Care Service.
• Maintains, edits, revises, and prepares any and all appropriate Hospital Policy Memoranda.
• Tracks quality assurance, performance improvement, and performance measures data pertinent to the OHP. Assists the Program Director with preparation of quarterly and annual reports.
• Performs patient scheduling and check-in using the Load/Edit menu, indicating date and time on Duty Status forms for follow up. Documents no shows by sending email to OWCP specialist(s) when a patient misses a scheduled appointment.
• Maintains ASIST Program software, initiating CAI and CA2 stub reports for the employees and their supervisors to complete after work related injuries and illnesses.
• Maintains the hazardous drugs, anesthetic gases, respiratory protection, hearing conservation, Police, FMS OSHA, asbestos, boiler plant and TB testing surveillance programs by ordering all lab tests, other required tests, scheduling the surveillance physical exams, and maintaining and up-dating the records of the employees in these programs.
• Maintains the Animal Handling questionnaire surveillance log for the Research Service and reports compliance to the Service for their inspections.
• Schedules lab work and appointments for the Health Enhancement Clinic.
• Assists employees with clearing and removes the chart from employee files to be sent to HRMS for archiving.

Work Schedule: 7;30am-4pm
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience]or military service experience.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 72213F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

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. MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.j.

Education. Four years above high school or some equivalent experience

Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs.
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: GS-5 MSA (Full Performance Level)

Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-4)
OR
Education: Two years above high schools or some equivalent experience .
or
Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.

Assignment. This is the full performance level for MSAs. At this level, the MSA independently performs a full range of duties [related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting. Advises clinical staff on current administrative processes.] The MSA is responsible for [answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit], scheduling appointments, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling [patient] appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring Assignment. This is the full performance level for MSAs. At this level, the MSA independently performs a full range of duties [related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting. Advises clinical staff on current administrative processes.] The MSA is responsible for [answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit], scheduling appointments, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling [patient] appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate 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 basic 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.

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.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019

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.
• 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.