Medical Support Assistant

The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is recruiting for Medical Support Assistant that will function within Community Outpatient Service at the Akron Oh Clinic. The MSA is responsible for performing a variety of technical support duties that facilitate the work of physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nursing assistants, and other members of the medical facility who provide direct patient care. The MSA performs clerical work in support of the care and treatment given to patients.

VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

• Working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary care delivery model, utilizing effective organizing, problem solving and decision making abilities to perform receptionist, customer service, and administrative duties to ensure the proper and timely treatment of patients.
• Maintain appointment schedules - scheduling, rescheduling and cancelling appointments
• Providing reception to incoming and outgoing customers and communications
• Manual and electronic data entry
• Reviewing and updating patient demographics and insurance verification
• Providing administrative support to clinical colleagues
• Receiving and directing phone calls in a courteous and timely manner
• Determining nature of requests and providing the information desired without violating privacy rules and established clinic processes
• Requesting medical records from community healthcare facilities
• Monitors intra and inter facility consults through completion.
• Contacting patients with appointment reminders

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8am - 4:30pm
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
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 #: 91462A
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: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• 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.
• 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 3j.

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).


GS-5 (Full Performance Level)Experience or Education: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level or 4 years of education above high school. Assignments at the GS-4 level include but are not limited to: interacting with both internal and external customers; establishing and maintaining medical outpatient and inpatient charts as well as administrative records; verifying third party insurance and updating information in the Insurance Capture Buffer (ICB) system; obtaining medical information from patients; coordinating information and actions related to patient care and services; and scheduling appointments in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs):The candidate's application/resume will be rated against the following KSAs.
1. Ability to operate computerized programs and [systems] in order to enter, modify,and retrieve sensitive [medical and patient identifying] information [(PII)] into orfrom electronic [health] records, scheduling systems, and/or reports.
2.[Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medicaldiagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions topatients.]
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, [andrefer] 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 position is GS-05.

Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary. Some walking between buildings to other offices carrying/lifting small and/or lightweight items. Work involves working with computers and office equipment. Long periods of sitting and telephone calling.

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.