Medical Support Assistant

Summary This Medical Support Assistant (MSA) position is in Community Care services at the VA Maine Healthcare System, located at the Augusta, ME location. This is a full time position. Responsibilities Performs a variety of administrative tasks associated with maintaining and supporting the work performed in the Non VA Care Service, contacts veteran for desired Non VA provider and date / time; contacts Non VA provider to schedule appointment; obtains necessary documentation needed for the Non VA provider; coordinates with other service lines in order to obtain necessary information for Non VA provider; follow-up after appointment to ensure attendance, check up for additional procedures; ensures medical documentation is received from Non VA provider; manages workload on spreadsheets; prepares medical documentation for scanning into Veteran's electronic medical record; organizes material for supervisor. Other assignments at this level include regular meetings with supervisor / LEADs. Other related duties may include, but are not limited to : Performs receptionist duties, customer service and other duties assigned for the proper and timely treatment of patients. Screen / receive phone calls in a courteous and timely manner, determine the nature of requests and provide the information desired using privacy rules and established processes. Coordinates administrative services for veterans, family members, caregivers, and general public, administrative and clinical staff to ensure continuity care. Ensure that all necessary health / administrative information are integrated into Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) by sending the documents to scan. Develops and maintains effective working relationships with all clinical and administrative staff in determining priorities of activities in support of direct patient care. Interprets and applies a complex body of pertinent laws, regulations, directives, and policies that relate to the administration of VA Healthcare Benefits. Responsible for completion of personnel reports, rosters, and maintenance of supplies and forms. Requires frequent changes to VHA directives, regulations and local policies and constant coordination to ensure compliance and standardization. Conducts special audits, studies, or surveys to be utilized in the development of procedures, and to assist employees in collecting complete and appropriate data for reporting processes and for generating revenue. 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. Must completely understand and be able to explain complex regulations and eligibility criteria. Work Schedule : 40 hours a Week, Monday-Friday, Tours (8 : 00am-4 : 30pm) or (7 : 30am-4 : 00pm), EST Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus) : Not Authorized. Paid Time Off : 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Parental Leave : After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy : After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement : Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA. Insurance : Federal health / vision / dental / term life / long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement). Telework : Not available. Virtual : This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement # : F1826 Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure : Not Required. Notifications : This position is in the Excepted Service. Due to a critical staffing shortage, 38 U.S.C. § 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference for this job announcement. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. This announcement maybe used to fill additional vacancies. EDRP is not authorized. The full performance of this position is GS-05 This position is covered by a Special Salary Rate (SSR). NOTE : The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. Requirements Conditions of Employment 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 (). 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. Must pass pre-employment evaluation. You may be required to serve a trial period. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you may 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 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 : 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, 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. 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. 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). Grandfathering Provision : All MSAs employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard (08 / 01 / 2019) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, which are a part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply : Such employees may be reassigned, promoted, or changed to a lower grade within the occupation. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. If an employee who was converted to Title 38 hybrid status under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. Grade Determinations : GS-5 Medical Support Assistant Experience : One year of experience equivalent to the GS-4 grade level; OR Education : Four years of education above high school. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities : Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below : 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. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients. Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting. Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work. Ability to communicate effectively and professionally [in person, electronically, and / or by telephone, with internal and external customers. 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 QUALIFICATION STANDARD. (GS-0679). This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. Physical Requirements : The majority of the work is performed in an office setting, primarily while sitting. The position requires some standing, ambulation, bending, and carrying of items such as training materials. In addition, there can be increased stress due to the intensity of a patient / customer complaint or concern. 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 : 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 : Additional Information During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration / Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA / OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.