Medical Support Assistant

The Medical Support Assistant in the Nursing Service Ward Administration at the VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) works collaboratively with the interdisciplinary team and other health care professionals to provide accessible care that meet patient needs. At this level, the MSA independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of clerical healthcare services in inpatient units and/ or outpatient units setting.

The Medical Support Assistant in the Nursing Service Ward Administration at the VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) works collaboratively with the interdisciplinary team and other health care professionals to provide accessible care that meet patient needs. Must utilize an extensive knowledge base to provide timely and appropriate administrative duties to the inpatient/outpatient setting. Work requires knowledge of computerized data entry, information processing systems and software related to patient care. At this level, the MSA independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of clerical healthcare services in inpatient units and/ or outpatient units setting.

Duties for the Medical Support Assistant include but are not limited to:

• Apply general rules and policies relating to clinic/ward functions, staff, and automated data processing methods in support of treatment of patients.
• Performs appropriate Admissions, Discharges, and Transfer (ADT) movements.
• Retrieving and scanning existing documents into an Electronic Health Record system.
• Scheduling, canceling or rescheduling appointments in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.
• Interpreting and verifying provider orders as appropriate.
• Interacting with internal and external customers to achieve desired outcomes.
• Scheduling patients for treatment and annotating patient records.
• Responding appropriately and ensuring that all messages are communicated in a timely manner.
• Ensures that the electronic Bed Management System (BMS) is accurate and updated.
• Independently performs a full range of admissions, transfers, and discharges, related to administrative delivery of healthcare services in inpatient/outpatient settings.
• Responsible for answering incoming phone calls, patient call lights and relaying messages to appropriate staff.
• Reports backlogs, difficulties in meeting deadlines, or difficulty in securing information from clinicians or the record.
• Communicates with nursing staff, physicians, case managers, and other allied health professional staff using sound interpersonal skills and is constantly aware of the sensitive information.
• Communicates and treats customers (Veterans, their representatives, visitors, and all VA staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner.
• Handles conflict and problems in dealing with the customer constructively and appropriate.
• Works under the direction of a Lead MSA/Advanced MSA at the full performance level and makes decisions based on guidelines, precedents and regulations.
• Scheduling patient appointments.
• Monitoring inpatient electronic orders for areas of responsibility, verifying orders in a timely manner, verifying and updating patient demographics.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, Rotating Weekend and Holidays, either 7:30am to 4:00pm, 3:30pm to 12:00am, or 11:30pm to 8:00am.
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Resume Requirement: Your resume must be detailed include the following information: Job title, description of duties, beginning and ending date (month/year) of employment; and average hours worked per week.
SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action: Current Federal Employees are mandated to submit your recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) dated 2026 for eligibility that displays your actual and current grade, step, salary, and tenure. Award SF-50s are not considered eligible. 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:

• 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).
• Education. High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
• 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 to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations for GS-05 Medical Support Assistant:

In addition to the basic requirements listed above, applicants must meet the following grade determinants.

Experience or Education:

• Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade. OR
• Education. Two years of education above high school.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate ALL the following KSAs:

• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.
• Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution.
• 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.
• 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.

Preferred Experience: Background in healthcare or medical field, strong computer skills, excellent customer service skills, organizational and time-management skills, flexibility to adapt to change and dependability with schedules.

Creditable Experience: To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of 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 or non-paid employment as an MSA or an equivalent position in a non-VA hospital or clinic setting.

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.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.

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.
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 identification 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.