Medical Support Assistant

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.

Duties

• 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: 3:30pm to Midnight; Saturday and Sunday Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 02656F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Qualifications

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: 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 REQUIREMENT BELOW TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION. 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. Physical Requirements: MSA performs work on Inpatient wards, located throughout the FHCC, including, but not limited to: Community Living Center (CLC), Medical Unit, Surgical Unit, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Domiciliary, Mental Health Units (Acute, Geriatric Psych, and Substance Abuse). The work is mainly sedentary but requires some bending, walking, standing, and the carrying of such things as VA and DOD patient records, light sterile supplies, and letter mail.

Requirements

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.

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/.

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online questionnaire and submission of the required documentation specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13055066. The application process is as follows: To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date, 09/17/2026. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. NOTE: Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.