Summary Incumbent performs as a Medical Support Assistant (MSA) within the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC) in the Ward Administration division of the Health Administration Department, with duties and responsibilities in the inpatient wards of the medical treatment facility. The incumbent admits and/or discharges VA and Department of Defense (DOD) patients into/out of the hospital wards and facilitates inpatient care during length of stay. Responsibilities VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Functions or Scope of Assigned Duties: Responsible for planning, organizing, and controlling administrative support matters where assigned to ensure that professional time may be channeled directly to the care and treatment of patients. Schedules specialized appointments for the unit and with other specialized units within the health care system. Scans inpatient medical documents into the Electronic Health record. The incumbent arranges transportation for patient appointments; processes bed control functions; collaborates with social workers, nurses, physicians, dieticians, and other staff from varying backgrounds to facilitate health care and treatment of VA and DOD patients during their inpatient stay. The incumbent will serve as a constant resource to the medical staff on the ward providing instructions and guidance in availability and procurement of support services such as laboratory, radiology, dental, and social services; serves as the designee for patients and agent cashier in connection with receiving funds through VPFS. Will be a resource to medical staff on uses of the various medical records, forms, VISTA, confidentiality and authorized release of patient information under the Privacy Act and in the coordination of activities, procedures, and documentation related to patient care. The incumbent meets the needs of customers while supporting the Medical Center and Service mission. Researches problems and/or reviews issues and requests related to the information regarding provision of medical care, VA and DOD eligibility, etc. Requires knowledge of medical terminology; ability to use and perform simple maintenance on various office equipment; Tricare and VA eligibilities, entitlements, and programs; ability to plan and organize work, set priorities and exercise judgment to ensure efficient workflow; and ability to use a variety of computer systems to record and coordinate patient activities. Work Schedule: 0700-1530 Monday-Friday Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). 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) 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: N/A Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 02656F Requirements Conditions of Employment 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. Qualifications Basic Requirements: US Citizenship is required. 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). ENGLISH: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). EXPERIENCE: No experience required. EDUCATION: High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education. IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS LISTED ABOVE, YOU MUST MEET THE GRADE REQUIREMENTS AT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING GRADE LEVELS TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION. GS-3 - This is an entry level MSA position. It is expected that MSAs at this level receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision. Experience or Education: None beyond the basic requirements. GS-4 - This is a developmental level MSA position. It is expected that MSAs at this level receive minor and less frequent guidance from higher experienced staff members for more difficult tasks. Experience: One year of creditable experience that equips you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position and that is equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-3) OR Education: One year of education above high school. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 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. GS-5 - This is the full performance level for MSAs. At this level, the MSA is expected to independently perform a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting. Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-4 grade level that equips you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position. At this grade level, experience consists of: interacting with internal and external customers; establishing and maintaining medical outpatient and inpatient charts as well as administrative records; verifying third party insurance and updating insurance information in automated systems; obtaining medical information from patients; coordinating information and actions related to patient care and services; and scheduling appointments OR Education: Two years of education above high school. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 1. Ability to operate computerized programs and systems in order to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient identifying information into or from electron 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. 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. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-03 to GS-05. 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/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
