BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.g.).
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.
Certification. None required.
Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs.
English Language Proficiency. MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.j.
Grade Determinations
Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-6
Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level.
Examples of qualifying experience: Independently performs a full range of MSA duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting. Advises clinical staff on current administrative processes. Answers phones, greets patients, relays messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit, schedules appointments, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.
AND
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
i. 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.
ii. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
iii. 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.
iv. 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.
v. 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.
vi. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.
Preferred Experience: Scheduling and customer service experience. Experience with Microsoft products (Excel, Outlook).
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit
https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking, standing, bending, carrying of light items, etc. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.
The full performance level of this vacancy is
GS-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is
GS-6.
All qualifying experience you possess must be clearly described in your application package. We will not make assumptions when reviewing applications.