Duties
The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (MSA) is a foundational role within the Community/Non-VA Care department. The incumbent's work impacts the timely administering aspect of patient care, including: proper eligibility review, timely authorization, coordinating care in the community, ensuring care is scheduled and rendered accordingly, consult management, wait list management including VCL (Veterans Choice List) and EWL (Electronic Wait List), obtaining and routing proper medical records, and customer service.
The Advanced MSA works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model within Care in the community. The incumbent assists Veterans by explaining community programs, coordinating their care in the community through various avenues, and providing customer service to be the patient's liaison between the VA Medical Center and the community provider. Incumbent performs a variety of administrative functions associated with patient care and treatment for Care in the Community services which include inpatient, outpatient, and/or GEC program services. Employee must acquire knowledge of internal organizational procedures, knowledge of various facility services, multiple computer software systems, VA acronyms and abbreviations.
Major duties include, but are not limited to:
- Providing customer service by face-to-face or telephonically contact.
- Creates and issues authorizations for approved care, assists with vendor location when needed, and resolves barriers to obtain care in the community to avoid patient care delay. Coordinates with the Care in the Community team to review consult utilization by using various reports and communication methods to effectively support the needs of the team.
- Coordinates with the Care in the Community team to review consult utilization by using various reports and communication methods to effectively support the needs of the team.
- Responding to both employee and patient concerns and providing solutions to process problems as they affect day-to-day operations.
- Coordinates sending, receiving, and routing medical records from community vendors as needed by verifying services utilized by specialty and date of service.
- Responsible for accurate appointment management and the coordination of all administrative information between the community care vendor and the Veteran. This includes scheduling appointments, data entry, administratively managing consultation requests and the electronic waiting list.
- Must screen/receive phone calls in a courteous and timely manner.
- Must be able to interpret and communicate requirements of VHA Scheduling Directives and complete accurate scheduling responsibilities and assist in training others.
VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
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)
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:
May be approved on an ad-hoc basis
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 40592-F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.
Area of Consideration- Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:
- Current permanent VA employees of the facility.
- All other VA employees.
- Current permanent Federal employees of other agencies.
- All other applicants.
Note: A current (2025) non-award SF-50 must be submitted for verification of eligibility for facility, VA and Federal Employee status.
Note: Veterans' Preference is not applicable to VA employees or employees of other Federal agencies.
Note: This position is one of the hybrid title 38 occupations reported among the occupations with the largest staffing shortages and, therefore, under 38 U.S.C. § 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference to external applicants for appointments made during the Fiscal Year 2025.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the
VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.
How to Apply
All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 08/21/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12778614.
- To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
- Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.