Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)-Ward Administration Inpatient 3rd Shift

Clarification from the agency

This job is open to current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs employees, current permanent Federal employees of other agencies and all US Citizens. First area of consideration is Orlando VA HCS Employees, other current and permanent VA employees, other current permanent federal employees, and U.S. citizens. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant is responsible for the accuracy of patient information and the coordination of all administrative information between the professional staff and the patient. This includes updating and verifying demographic information, scheduling appointments, collecting insurance information, data entry, administratively managing inpatient rosters and bed assignments through Veterans Health Information and Technology Architecture (VISTA}, Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) and Bed Management Systems (BMS), as well as notifying the patient regarding his/her appointment schedule, and verifying physician orders in CPRS. The incumbent must also utilize Vista Scheduling Enhancements (VSE) for all appointment scheduling. The incumbent must provide excellent customer service and must adhere to VA local, National, and Service policies and procedures. He/she must maintain confidentiality agreements, abide by HIPPA laws, and exhibit ethical conduct at all times. Employee must complete and adhere to necessary annual VHA training requirements offered in the Talent Management System (TMS) or locally face to face. The incumbent in this assignment supports the Inpatient Units/Emergency Department (ED) of the Medical Center and can be pulled to work in any uniUward, due to staffing levels and workplace needs. He/she plays a key role in the VHA Network Performance Measures for Revenue, Customer Service, Access to Care, and overall quality.

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant is responsible for processing newly admitted patients, reviewing physician orders and acting on such orders that are within the scope of function of a MSA, such as arranging for tests and procedures, verifying the opt-in status of patients and patient demographics. The incumbent will assist Nursing and the Clinical Services in entering and overseeing the accuracy of patient information that is displayed in the Bed Management System (BMS), VISTA and CPRS. This individual is responsible to inform proper staff of pertinent information including, but not limited to, the collection of insurance information, changes in demographic information, Advance Directive which cannot be located, or the desire of the patient to complete an Advance Directive. Assist health care staff in completing release of information forms as required. The incumbent will process and verify physicians' orders that are written and electronically entered into CPRS and ensures proper entry into VISTA and CPRS. The incumbent will participate in the hospital's contingency plan by maintaining and utilizing all contingency forms, being knowledgeable of contingency procedures and maintaining electronic contingency information. The incumbent will document and coordinate patient movements and maintain a current inpatient roster of the ward/unit. If needed, the individual would be required to research patient records for information pertaining to current hospitalization, i.e., Advanced Directives, Allergy Information and H&P. They will be responsible for updating the Seriously Ill data as appropriate in VISTA.

As an Advanced Medical Support Assistant, the in incumbent is responsible for serving as a subject matter expert for his/her co-workers. He/she will be required to run productivity audits and assist in the training of Medical Support Assistants. Conducts patient/employee surveys, interviews, observes workflow, guides patients through hospital system, makes referrals, documents complaints, provides follow-up and suggests resolutions to supervisor. Incumbent intervenes to resolve difficult problems and diffuses potential dissatisfaction with VA services in order to prevent congressional and adverse publicity. Serves as technical advisor and liaison with contacts at all levels. Incumbent must completely understand and be able to explain complex regulations and eligibility criteria concerning veterans' entitlements and VA benefits, priorities for care, access to care and advanced clinic access.

Work Schedule: 11:30pm to 8:00am or 3:30pm to 12:00am rotating weekends/holidays
Virtual: This is not a virtual position
Functional Statement #: 80546F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 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

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.
• Education: High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
• Licensure/Certification/Registration: None.
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

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: In addition to meeting the basic requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates.

Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-06

• Experience: One (1) year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade. Examples of experience include but are not limited to: Scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; 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.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.
4. 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.
5. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
6. 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 physical demands of the work requires use of fingers; moderate walking and standing; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in on eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; hearing aid permitted; clear speech; emotional stability; moderate duty.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Area of Consideration: Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility.
2. All other VA employees.
3. Current permanent Federal employees of other agencies.
4. All other applicants.

This occupation is listed on the OIG Determination of Veterans Health Administration's Occupational Staffing Shortages Fiscal Year (FY26). Therefore, this vacancy announcement is exempt from Veterans Preference.

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.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:



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:

• High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
• Resume

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.

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