Medical Support Assistant Job in Hines, IL

Vacancy No. HIN-12816136-26-MCS Department Veterans Health Administration
Salary $45,087.00 to $58,607.00 Grade 5 to 5
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/22/2025 Close Date 10/27/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Hines, IL


Summary

The incumbent serves as a Medical Support Assistant within the Patient Administrative Service (PAS). This position provides inpatient ward, CLC, or Emergency Department administrative services to Veterans residing in the Primary Service Area of the Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital.

The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

Current, Permanent Federal Employees are asked to upload a copy of the most recent 2025 SF-50 (that is not for an award), indicating current Federal employment. This position is a hybrid title 38 occupation 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 applicants for Fiscal Year 2026.

Duties

The work includes functions such as serving as an initial point of contact for the units, clinics, patient, call centers, to include, but not limited to, scheduling patient appointments, tracking, reviewing, and responding to electronic orders, consults, and other elements in the electronic medical record and medical systems. This includes work that requires a practical knowledge of computerized data entry, information processing systems and software related to patient care, the healthcare system's organization and services, basic rules and regulations governing visitors and patient treatment, knowledge of standard procedures, utilizing medical records, and medical terminology.

  • Ancillary Services. Clinics that provide diagnostic studies and/or support services to assist in the provision of patient care. Areas of service include, but are not limited to, Blind and Vision Rehabilitation, Diagnostic Laboratory, Nutrition and Food Service, Prosthetics, Radiology (x-rays and imaging), Recreation and Creative Arts Therapists (music, art, dancing, and drama), Social Work (housing, discharge, planning, family support), and Speech/Language Pathology.
  • Call Center. Centralized unit dedicated to multiple ancillary and interdisciplinary outpatient clinics that determine the need of the caller (i.e., scheduling, processing refill requests, reviewing CPRS, and routing clinical questions to appropriate clinical staff).
  • Care in the Community (CitC). The local VA Community Care department is the 'clinic' that coordinates all patient services for Veterans outside the VA Healthcare System.
  • Direct Scheduling. Schedules routine appointments without a consult referral.
  • Interdisciplinary Coordinated Care Delivery Models. Coordination of care across all elements of the broader health care system, which may include primary care, mental health, specialty care, Call Center, and community care services and support.
  • Patient Systems. Various software, hardware system products, and data portals used to transfer and capture information electronically used in the support of the daily operation of the unit. These systems include, but are not limited to: Veterans Integrated System Technology Architecture (VistA), Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS), Vetlink, VistA Scheduling Graphical User Interface (VS GUI), Insurance Capture Buffer (ICB), VHA Support Service Center (VSSC), Fee Basis Claim System (FBCS), Bed Management Systems (BMS), Compensation and Pension Record Interchange (CAPRI), Veterans Benefit Management System (VBMS), Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning (SAIL), Patient Centered Management Model (PCMM), Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), Telecare Record Manager (TRM), Automated Call Delivery (ACD), Audio Care (AC), Business Intelligence Service Line (BISL), Scheduling Audit Tool (SAT), and Veterans Affairs Portal to view external medical records. Patient systems names may vary from institutions and change over time.
Work Schedule: Varies per location, generally Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm. Tour of Duty also varies based on the needs of the service and you may be asked to work a Saturday a few times a year for expanding services.
Telework: Not Suitable
Virtual: This is not a virtual position
Functional Statement #: 01763F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
  • All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
  • Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
  • You may be required to serve a probationary/trial period.
  • Subject to background/security investigation.
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
  • Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
  • This position is a hybrid title 38 occupation 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 applicants for Fiscal Year 2026.
  • Current, Permanent Federal Employees are asked to upload a copy of the most recent SF-50 (that is not for an award), indicating current Federal employment.

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
  • United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
  • English: Must be proficient in basic written and spoken English.
  • Experience and Education: (1) Experience. Six months experience of clerical, office, [customer service], or other [administrative] work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position; OR, (2) Education. One year above high school; OR, (3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.
IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS LISTED ABOVE, YOU MUST MEET THE GRADE REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION.

GS-5 level
Experience: One (1) year of experience that is directly related to the duties of a MSA and that equips you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position. To be creditable, this experience must be equivalent to the next lower grade level, GS-4, and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with current MSA responsibilities. Experience at this level includes, but is not limited to: scheduling and rescheduling patients for treatment; interviewing patients for appointments; referring patients to other medical specialty clinics; providing information to patients necessary to resolve complaints; interacting with both internal and external customers; reviewing and documenting medical outpatient and inpatient electronic health records, as well as administrative records; verifying third party insurance and updating information in the Insurance Capture Buffer (ICB) system; obtaining medical information from patients; coordinating information and actions related to patient care and services; and scheduling appointments in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.
OR
Education: Successful completion of four (4) years of education above high school level. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university. (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 (PII) into or from electronic 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.

Preferred Experience:
  • Types at 40+ words per minute (WPM)
  • Proficiency with office automation equipment (i.e., printers, fax, scanners, etc.)
  • Proficiency with various computer programs, including Microsoft Office Suite, VistA, CPRS, VSE GUI, etc.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. Physical demands do not exceed those of a typical office setting. There may be some walking, standing twisting, turning, sitting, pushing, bending, repetitive keyboarding, or carrying of light items. Some positions may require sitting for long periods of time at a computer terminal typing data while talking on a telephone headset.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Additional information

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act (or the Act) prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from requesting applicant criminal history record information before extending a conditional or tentative offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S.C § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201 certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Act, may submit a written complaint within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged non-compliance to VA at vacofairchanceact@va.gov.

Applicants may be selected to fill other vacancies at Hines and its affiliated CBOC's. Tour of duty may vary based on the needs of the service.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

This position is a FY26 VHA Shortage Occupation Approved for Waiver of Veteran's Preference.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

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.

Required Documents

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.

  • Cover Letter
  • Current, Permanent Federal Employees are asked to upload a copy of the most recent 2025 SF-50 (that is not for an award), indicating current Federal employment.
  • Resume


This position is a FY26 VHA Shortage Occupation Approved for Waiver of Veteran's Preference.
  • To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
  • Resume, required. Your resume must include the following information for each job listed: Job title, Grade Level (for Federal positions), Duties (be as detailed as possible and ensure they demonstrate how you meet the specialized experience and/or Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required for the position Month & Year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008), Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week.
  • Current and/or highest grade held SF-50 - Notification of Personnel Action (Not an award SF50), required for current Federal employees.
  • Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Effective September 29, 2025, HR office staff must ensure the two-page resume limit is clearly stated in USAS in the "How to Apply" section of all applicable JOAs (identified in item 3, Scope, of this bulletin), by using the below language:

Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed.

Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.

Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.

Helpful Hints for Creating a Two-Page Resume:
  • Prioritize most relevant and recent experience
  • Use concise, results focused language
  • Align language from the job announcement
  • Focus on demonstrating skills and competencies
  • Remove outdated or unrelated experience
  • Use the USAJOBS resume builder
Additional guidance on this new requirement and resume building tools can be found at:

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

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 10/27/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12816136.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Agency contact information

Michael Simmons - HINES
Address
Edward Hines Junior Hospital
5000 South 5th Avenue
Hines, IL 60141
US

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.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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