Summary The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) is assigned to the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System (VASNHCS) Community Care (CC) Service to perform a full range of duties related to eligibility, preferences, scheduling, provider interaction, and customer service. The Community Care Program serves eligible Veteran populations through community providers in a variety of patient care settings such as emergent, inpatient, outpatient, and extended care. Duties
Duties of the position include, but are not limited to:
- Support the consult teams, by using an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model.
- Use advanced interpersonal skills in order to effectively understand patient's needs, assess possible courses of action and take appropriate measures to ensure patient satisfaction.
- Demonstrate exceptional interpersonal communication skills and work collaboratively with medical center programs, services and multidisciplinary team members in providing accessibility to care and in meeting patient care needs, both clinical and administrative.
- Serve as the coordinator of incoming telephone calls, receiving a wide range of inquiries, utilizing administrative systems knowledge to identify patient/caller needs, practicing independent decision-making, coordinating care needs, assist in scheduling appointments and directing problem resolution as appropriate.
- Work closely with CC Nurses and other clinical providers to ensure patients' health needs are met.
- Maintain appointment schedules for CC, communicates with CC providers to ensure they accept VA patients and payments, prepare any required pre-appointment documents, schedule the appropriate level of care and document the schedule in the appropriate consult.
- Obtain medical documentation from community providers, scans to appropriate consult within the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) and alerts VA providers for continuity of care.
- Collaborate with the CC Nurses, Specialty Care teams, and Facility staff for all patient coordination of care issues.
- Schedule Veteran appointments with community providers using Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS)/ VA Information System Technology Architecture (VistA) or other software scheduling options.
- Utilize a global knowledge base to provide timely and appropriate telephone caller referral and/or problem resolution.
- Display a cooperative attitude and will effectively work together to implement the organization's mission and goals.
- Protect printed and electronic files containing sensitive data in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 and other applicable laws, Federal regulations, VA statutes and policy, and VHA policy.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Telework: Available- Ad Hoc (As determined by office policies)
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: FS# 654-00123-F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not AuthorizedQualifications
Basic Requirements:
- United States Citizenship: (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.).
- 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.
- Experience: Six (6) 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 (1) 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.
(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).
You will be rated on the following 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.
GS-6 Grade Determinations:
In addition to the Basic Requirements for employment listed above, the following education and experience criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates for Advanced Medical Support Assistant GS-6:
Experience: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the MSA GS-5 grade level.
In addition to one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 MSA, candidates must demonstrate all the KSA's below:
- Ability to collaborate and communicate with a wide range of medical clinicians across multiple disciplines (e.g. medical doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, clinical pharmacists, and nursing staff) to accomplish team goal setting to ensure medical care to patients is met.
- Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
- Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing, with internal and external customers. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels, as well as resolving patient concerns.
- Advanced knowledge of the technical healthcare process including, but not limited to, scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community models and patient healthcare portals as it relates to access to care.
- Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community operational activities that affect patient flow, and patient support care administrative functions to include, but not limited to appointment cycles, outside patient referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, provider availability, etc.
- Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.
Preferred Experience:
- 1 year experience navigating electronic medical records system.
- 1 year experience providing customer service to internal and external customers in the healthcare field.
- Familiarity with medical terminology.
- Familiarity with Microsoft Office programs, to include Outlook, Teams, Excel, Word, and SharePoint.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
Physical Requirements: This is primarily a sedentary position. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019Education There is no education substitution at this grade level.Requirements
- 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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.
- 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. 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.How you will be evaluated IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.How to apply All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/13/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13108649.
- To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
- Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. Other information Receiving Service Credit for 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.
