Medical Support Assistant

Medical Support Assistant

The Albany VA Medical Center is looking for a Medical Support Assistant for the Assistant Director's Office. The responsibilities include working collaboratively in interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery models, performing customer service and other duties assigned for the proper and timely treatment of patients, and maintaining appointment schedules for one or more outpatient clinics. The incumbent assists with clinic access contingency plans by adjusting appointment times, location, or dates as well as shifting patients to other healthcare providers as conflicts with staffing and coverage occur. The MSA screens and receives phone calls in a courteous and timely manner, determines the nature of requests, and provides the information desired using privacy rules and established clinic processes. A caring, compassionate, and sensitive manner is essential when explaining procedures to veterans and their family members both in person and on the phone. The MSA independently manages position responsibilities with little supervision, sets priorities and deadlines, and adjusts the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs. The MSA participates in daily team huddles and weekly team meetings where patient care planning and management occur, as part of the interdisciplinary team delivering patient care. The incumbent develops and maintains effective working relationships with all clinical and administrative staff in determining priorities of activities in support of direct patient care. The MSA notifies the supervisor when clinic access is less than desirable or if an individual patient cannot be scheduled within mandated clinic timeframes. The incumbent reviews active / pending consults, unable to schedule, Recall list, Return to Clinic Orders, Consults, VetLink / Kiosk, Vetext reports, VAOS, and Audio-care communications for accuracy and disposition. The MSA coordinates administrative services for veterans, family members, caregivers, and general public, administrative and clinical staff to ensure continuity of outpatient care. When records are received, the incumbent ensures that all necessary health / administrative information is integrated into the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) by sending the documents to centralized scanning. The MSA interprets and applies a complex body of pertinent laws, regulations, directives, and policies that relate to the administration of VA Healthcare Benefits. The ability to distribute and balance the workload among employees in accordance with established workflow or job specialization assures timely accomplishment of the assigned workload and ensures that each employee has enough work to keep busy.

Work Schedule : Monday - Friday 8 : 00 a.m. - 4 : 30 p.m. Virtual : This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement # : 37650F

Requirements Conditions of Employment :

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. 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 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.

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 :

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. 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; Experience / Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.

Grade Determinations :

Medical Support Assistant, GS-3 Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements. Assignment. This is an entry level MSA position. It is expected that MSAs at this level receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision.

Medical Support Assistant, GS-4 Experience. One year of experience in 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. Two years of education above high school.

Medical Support Assistant, GS-5 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-4 grade level; OR, Education. Four years of education above high school.

Physical Requirements : See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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.

Additional Information :

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.