Advanced Medical Support Assistant

Clarification from the agency

This job is open to the Public. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

The Advanced MSA will organize the work of the team in order to meet deadlines, ensure compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations; utilize comprehensive knowledge of the technical health care process as it relates to access to care in their assigned team/clinic areas; independently utilize reference sources, make decisions, and empower the team to collaborate and resolve problems in a complex systems environment; and use comprehensive knowledge of policies and procedures associated with operational activities that affect patient flow, patient care, and the revenue process.

Duties Include:

• Greets veterans and beneficiaries, presenting in person or by telephone, requesting assistance. Puts them at ease by listening to their requests; determines the nature of their medical care needs, questions, or complaints; and answers questions, provides information, gives guidance, and initiates action as appropriate.
• Carefully questions patients about the nature of their medical problem. Notifies the medical staff when potentially serious medical symptoms or complaints are identified and shares any information obtained from the patient or family with the clinical staff to assist in diagnosis, treatment, and appropriate referral.
• Receives and listens to complaints and grievances from patients or their representatives. Makes inquiry into patient complaints and initiates action or change necessary to correct or resolve problem situations or conflicts or refers the complaint to the appropriate Service/Section. Explains and helps the veteran understand VA and our hospital's policies, procedures, and available services.
• Ensure that all necessary health/administrative information are integrated into Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) by sending the documents to be scanned or performing the function within their area. Perform the scanning duties and may be asked to train other MSA levels on the process.
• Screen/receive phone calls in a courteous and timely manner, determine the nature of requests and provide the information desired using privacy rules and established clinic processes.
• Interpret and communicate requirements of VHA Scheduling Directives and complete accurate scheduling responsibilities and assist in training other MSA levels.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
Functional Statement #72204F Advanced Medical Support Assistant

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Conditions of employment

• 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/examination.
• 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

To qualify for appointments to this position, all applicants must possess the following:

English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).Grandfathering Provision. Employees in VHA in this occupation, under a permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and/or assignment held, including positive education and registration/certification where applicable.

Basic Requirement: Candidates must possess one of the following

• High school diploma or transcript (including homeschooling)
• General Education Development (GED) certificate
• Proficiency certificate issued by a State or Territorial Board or Department of Education
• Post-high school education
• You do not have one of the education levels listed above, but you were in the Medical Support Assistant occupation (GS-0679) on a permanent appointment with the Department of Veterans Affairs as of February 5, 2026, meeting all qualification requirements as part of the grandfathering provision

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for placement at grade levels specified.

GS-06.Medical Support Assistant (Advanced).

GS-06.Experience Requirement. In addition to meeting the basic requirements, candidates must possess one (1) year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05). Examples of creditable experience include but are not limited to: answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit; scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; participating in huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic, monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when patients check-in for appointments. Coordinating administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals and determines appointment type based on the patient's eligibility status (i.e., TRICARE, sharing agreements, collaterals, research patient, VA employee, etc.).

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to meeting the experience for the GS-06 level, candidates must possess the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.
(a) Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process (including, but not limited to, scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community models and patient health care portals) as it relates to access to care.
(b) Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community operational activities that affect patient flow, and patient support care administrative functions to include, but not limited to appointment cycles, outside patient referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, provider availability, etc.
(c) Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.
(d) Ability to collaborate and communicate with a wide range of medical clinicians across multiple disciplines (e.g., medical doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, clinical pharmacists, and nursing staff) to accomplish team goal setting to ensure medical care to patients is met.
(e) Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
(f) Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing, with internal and external customers. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels, as well as resolving patient concerns.

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 06.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, although some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items such as papers, files, or office supplies may be required. The position requires the ability to sit for extended periods, work at a computer, and engage in frequent communication by telephone and in person. Occasional assistance in escorting patients or retrieving records may occur. No special physical demands are required to perform the duties of this position.

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.

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.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Next steps