Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. CRITICAL Shortage LIST OIG: 38 U.S.C. 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference to external applicants for appointments made during the fiscal year to hybrid title 38 occupations among those reported to have the largest staffing shortages. Open to full time, permanent employees of the Hershel "Woody" Williams VAMC.

VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Duties:

• The incumbent coordinates with the patient, interdisciplinary team including the radiologist, technologists, and patients' referring service team, nurses, other VA medical centers, and other agencies (e.g., communicates with non-VA medical facilities; notify patients of requirements prior to appointment including labs or x-rays; follow up care on imaging orders).
• The incumbent monitors pre-appointment requirements to assure readiness for patient appointment/procedure including X-rays, Lab work, MRI safety screening requirements, etc. Data reports are run from the VistA Radiology Package and are used to manage radiology scheduling lists; this includes, pending, hold, and past scheduled exams validating accuracy, resolving issues and disposition of orders as required in accordance with policy.
• Coordinates patient procedures by verifying pre-procedure workup is complete and meets procedure requirements prior to procedure. This may include evaluating patient information, such as lab results and pre-procedure clinical screening for MRI and/or positron emission imaging (PET) exams to assure readiness for imaging exam/procedure and resolving issues, if needed.
• Other assignments at this level include but are not limited to participating and providing input on problem solving with operational issues in team meetings, performing administrative follow up actions on orders and consults, educating providers about shared patients who are receiving care at multiple VAs or those who receive care in the community.
• Works collaboratively with the Office of Community Care for scheduling of radiologic/nuclear medicine procedures performed in the community. This includes gathering data on patients referred to the community and developing a report that is shared with the Office of Community Care to determine if the patients care has been completed. The incumbent must effectively communicate with the Office of Community Care to ensure reports and images are received, processing orders and consults in accordance with policy and following up on outstanding consults. Additionally, this may include ensuring outside providers have prior imaging exams that are necessary for interpretation.
• Explains the VA's mandate to collect insurance information to Veterans, their families, and other eligible patients. He/she collects, scans, and updates health insurance information, serving a major role in the revenue process. The incumbent contributes to the revenue collection process by identifying patients with third-party insurance. Promotes Veteran registration for and utilization of My HealtheVet (MHV).
• Develops and/or maintains effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary coordinated care model, VA medical centers, and other agencies (e.g., assists with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge.
• Communicates with non-VA medical facilities. x Incumbent schedules Veteran appointments in accordance with service procedures and policies and instructs the patients on standard preparation procedures required prior to testing (dietary instructions, lab tests, etc.).
• The incumbent schedules appointments in the VistA scheduling package as well as the VistA radiology package.
• Ensures all appointments are scheduled timely and makes every effort to meet the clinically indicated date of the provider. Scheduler notifies section personnel immediately on the arrival of patients awaiting exams and any STAT request that is received.
• Provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model.
• provides specialized administrative judgment and flexibility in the use of a wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across multiple clinics and specialties including clinic cancellations.
• has expertise in utilizing numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics involved in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model.
• coordinates with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability/utilization to ensure the clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics (and adjusts, as needed).
• manages patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues.
• evaluates patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether the patient requires an immediate appointment.

Work Schedule: Monday - Varies, based on the needs of the service.
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 23228-F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• RESUME REQUIREMENTS - Your resume MUST include the following information:
• Job Title (for each position)
• Description of duties (be as detailed as possible)
• Month and year start/end dates (e.g. June 2018 to April 2020) of employment
• Full-time or part-time status (include average hours worked per week)
• 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 dentification 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 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

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:

United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

Experience and Education:

• Experience. 12 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,

• Education. One year above high school;

OR,

• 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.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations: Advanced Medical Support Assistant GS-6 Grade Level:

Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the [GS-5] grade level.

• Experience is defined as experience that includes, but is not limited to: scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient's appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring the electronic wait list; preparing for clinic visits; monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments for areas of responsibility; ensuring encounter forms are completed in order to obtain appropriate workload credit; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information; processing all emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals; performing basic eligibility, co-pays and pre-authorization requirements for specific coverage (i.e., TRICARE, sharing agreements, etc.).

Candidates must also be able to demonstrate the following Knowledge, skills, and abilities for the GS-0679-6 level to qualify for this position:

• 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.
• Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology and abbreviations

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is a GS-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a GS-06.

Physical Requirements: VA Directive and Handbook 5019.Work is partially sedentary, with frequent walking, standing, bending. carrying of light items such as papers and books, or small parts. Some slight physical effort may be required. Incumbent may be susceptible to eyestrain from working long hours on the computer.

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
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

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.

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
• Other (1)
• PCS Orders
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Next steps