Medical Support Assistant

Medical Support Assistant

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Washington, District of Columbia, Camp Springs, Maryland, Charlotte Hall, Maryland, Gaithersburg, Maryland, Lexington Park, Maryland, Fort Belvoir, Virginia

Salary Range: $42216 - $54886 Per Year

Job Summary: The incumbent serves as a Medical Support Assistant (MSA) organizationally aligned with the Office of Assistant Director, Community Based Outpatient Clinics to the CBOC Supervisory Medical Support Assistant (SMSA). The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) is located within a Washington DC VA Medical Center (DC VAMC) and/or in the Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC).

Major Duties:

• The work of a Medical Support Assistant (MSA) impacts the administrative aspects of patient care, including access, scheduling/coordinating appointments using advanced clinic access principles, collecting and updating demographic and insurance information, patient processing, scheduling Recall Reminders, return to clinic orders, and customer service. Incumbent is responsible for bed transfers/assignments, initial response to call lights, and initiating code calls. MSAs are responsible for assuring those various aspects of staffing, training, compliance, reporting and quality assurance are met. These activities directly affect the revenue cycle, patient access to care, hospital performance goals and objectives, as well as VHA public image. MSA's play an integral role in identifying and developing ways to resolve problems with the administrative and clinical staff on access, customer service, patient flow, revenue and data validation issues. Ability to work independently, setting priorities, and coordinate work. Knowledge of basic medical terminology. Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with persons of all educational backgrounds. Acts as a receptionist for the DC VA Medical Center Community Based Outpatient Care (CBOC) processing incoming and outgoing telephone calls, recording messages from Veterans, family members, in-house clinics, community clinics, transportation etc. Directs telephone calls and visitors and communicates information appropriately. Processes physicians' orders by identifying priority of STAT and routine orders and takes appropriate action by notifying personnel or services responsible. Seeks clarification of orders when appropriate. Promptly and accurately initiates and checks on status of referrals, lab, and imaging procedures. Makes numerous calls each day to coordinate information and actions relating to patient care and services. Relays information and requests from the patients and /or clinical services to the treatment team. Ensures that transportation/escort services are properly arranged. Compiles a consolidated computerized appointment sheet which shows tests, procedures, clinic appointments, therapies etc., for all patients on the unit foreach day of the week. Performs miscellaneous duties which may include, but are not limited to obtaining office supplies for the unit, scanning, xeroxing needing medical data, faxing, preparing admission packets, distributing mail to staff and patients, obtaining medical records, and x-rays, etc. Files, maintains, and secures medical records as appropriate. Pre-Registration, verifying and updating demographics and insurance information. Initiating and ensuring completion of work orders for the unit, including messages in VISTA for furniture or key requests for the floor. The MSA follows established procedures for scheduling appointments. The MSA schedules and arranges patient appointments to avoid conflict of treatment. Next notifies professional staff of appointments pending and any special preparation needs. Provides clerical support for the use of the computer contingency plan. Assists in training new or less experienced employees VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo Work Schedule: Varies work tours- May include holidays and weekends based on the needs of the service; 7:30 am- 4:00 pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: GS-3 26266-F, GS-4 26267, GS-5 26268F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Experience. No experience required. 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 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:(1) Such employees may be reassigned, promoted, or changed to a lower grade within the occupation.(2) 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.(3) 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 03 Requirements: Experience or Education: None beyond the basic requirements (stated above). Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. None GS-4 Requirements: Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade. OR Education. One year of education above high school. KSAs and assignment description remain the same. 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 VA Handbook 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 in the Insurance Capture Buffer (ICB) system; obtaining medical information from patients; coordinating information and actions related to patient care and services; and scheduling appointments in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. MSAs at this level refer all questions regarding medical attention to the appropriate health care team member. AND 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. GS-5 Requirements: Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-4 grade level; OR, Education: Four years of education above high school. 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. Advises clinical staff on current administrative processes. 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, monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when patients check-in for appointments. Coordinates administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals and determines appointment type based on the patient's eligibility status (i.e., TRICARE, sharing agreements, collaterals, research patient, VA employee, etc.) AND 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 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-5. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to GS-5. Foreign Education: To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

How to Apply: Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online questionnaire and submission of the required documentation specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12948433. The application process is as follows: To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date, 05/06/2026. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. NOTE: Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Application Deadline: 2026-05-06