Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/21/2025
Basic Requirements:
a. 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.)
b.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.
c. 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
Creditable Experience To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with current MSA responsibilities or an equivalent administrative patient support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment as an MSA or an equivalent position in a non-VA hospital or clinic setting.
Quality of Experience.Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to MSA experience or equivalent administrative clinical support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting at the next lower grade level. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty), and a range of varieties as described in this standard, at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.
Part-Time Experience.
Part-time experience as an MSA or equivalent administrative patient support in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, an MSA employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive one full-time workweek of credit for each two weeks of service.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).
Grade Determinations:
For GS-05 In addition to the basic requirements you must demonstrate that you possess one year of specialized experience at the next lower grade level (GS-04). Example of GS 04 specialized experiences include but not limited to the following:
i. Ability to meet, communicate, and interact with individuals from varying backgrounds and other health care team members in a courteous and helpful manner in order to facilitate medical care for patients
.ii. Ability to use, and navigate between, various types of office automation equipment and software (i.e. computer systems, web based scheduling programs; insurance collection system; scanning software, multiple line phone systems; electronic faxing programs) to support patient care.
iii. Knowledge of basic medical terminology to assist in the provision of care to patients.
iv. Skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care in internal or external clinics.
OR
Education. Four years of education above high school. You must provide a copy of your transcripts with your job application.
AND
Must demonstrate the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities based on your application for this position: Please make sure that each is addressed in detail in the body of your resume.
i. 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.
ii. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.
iii. Ability to [schedule medical] appointments in a clinical setting.
iv. Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work.
v. Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone, with internal and external customers.
vi. Skill in customer service with the ability] to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution.
References: VA Handbook 5005, PART II, APPENDIX G45 Medical Support Assistant VA Qualification Standards. Can be found in the local Human Resources Office.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-05. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-05.
Physical Requirements: Position is primarily sedentary. Work is conducted at desk setting. Some walking and standing throughout the day from desk to other areas, incumbent must be able to travel to other areas with ease. The majority of time is spent working at a desk. It involves the frequent use of office equipment including the telephone, copier, personal computer, printer and similar automated equipment. There is potential for extended periods of sitting, standing and carrying items weighing up to 20 pounds i.e., medical records and manuals. The incumbent is expected to use proper preventive ergonomic techniques to perform duties.
Education
IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.