Medical Support Assistant OCA

Summary

The (MSA) serves at the Birmingham, AL Health Care System within the Access & Office of Community Care.

THIS OPEN & CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT (OCA) , which closes on 02 / 27 / 2026. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be on or about 11 / 07 / 25 with subsequent reviews every two weeks as additional vacancies occur or on an as-needed basis, until positions are filled. Please see the "What To Expect Next" area of the announcement which provides additional information.

Duties

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This vacancy announcement establishes an "Open Continuous Announcement" for eligible applicants to be considered for this position.

Select all locations you are willing to consider as this announcement will be used to fill vacancies in the listed locations as they come available.

The first list of eligible applicants will be referred to the Selection Official 11 / 07 / 25. Applications received after this date, will be referred as additional staffing needs arise, throughout the life of the announcement. All qualified applications received by the cut-off date and / or when the hiring manager requests for candidates will be notified at that time. Those candidates that meet eligibility will be forwarded to the selecting official for a review. A selection may be made at any time during the opening of the announcement.

We utilize Open Continuous announcements to accept applications in anticipation of vacancies. Extended announcements provide us a readily available source of applicants when vacancies do occur and are approved. If a vacancy does not occur for the location and grade for which you are qualified and apply, no further notification concerning the announcement will be provided.

All application packages remain eligible for consideration for 90 days after submission to the announcement. To remain eligible for consideration beyond 90 days, a new application submission is required to indicate your continued interest.

The Advanced MSA provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. Work involves specialized administrative judgment and the flexible use of a wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and / or care in the community resources. Recommends changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines. Coordinates with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability (utilization) to ensure that clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics, and makes adjustments as necessary.

Major duties include but are not limited to :

• Scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient's appointments and / or consults- Entering no-show information- Preparing for clinic visits- Ensuring encounter forms are completed- Monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments for areas of responsibility- Verifying and updating demographics and insurance information- Processing of all emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals- Performing basic eligibility, co-pays and preauthorization requirements for specific coverage- Routinely communicates with physicians, case managers and other allied health professional staff using sound interpersonal skills- Other duties as assigned in support of Covid-19 operations for example entrance screening duties

The Medical Support Assistant can serve in one of the many areas listed below :

Work Schedule : M-F TODs available 0730-1600, 0800-1630, 0830-1700 as determined by the Supervisor.

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)Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.

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.

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 # : 000000

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not Authorized.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

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 :

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 :

GRADE REQUIREMENTS.Creditable 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].Grade Determinations : In addition to the Basic Requirements listed above, the following education and experience criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates :

Medical Support Assistant, GS-4

(a) 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 ,

(b) Education . Two years of education above high school.

(c) Assignment . This is a developmental level MSA position. It is expected that MSAs at this level receive minor and less frequent guidance from higher experienced staff members for more difficult tasks. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to : scheduling and rescheduling patients for treatment; interviewing patients for appointments; referring patients to other medical specialty clinics; providing information to patients necessary to resolve complaints; interacting with both internal and external customers; reviewing and documenting medical outpatient and inpatient electronic health records, as well as administrative records; verifying third party insurance and updating information; obtaining medical information from patients; and coordinating information and actions related to patient care and services.

(d) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate ALL of the KSAs below :

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.

Medical Support Assistant, GS-5

a) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-4 grade level; Experience includes : 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; 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; Advanced knowledge of medical terminology to assist in the provision of care to patients; Skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care in internal or external clinics. OR ,

(b) Education . Four years of education above high school.

(c) Assignment. This is the full performance level for MSAs. At this level, the MSA independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting. The MSA is responsible for answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit, scheduling appointments, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. Assignments at this level 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.

(d) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate ALL of the KSAs below :

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.

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).

References : For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

Physical Requirements : The majority of work is performed in an office setting, primarily while seated. The position requires some standing, ambulation, bending and carrying of items such as training manuals. 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

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.

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.