Archived listing. The details below describe a past opening.
Summary The purpose of the position is to serve as an Medical Support Assistant, also known as Inpatient Ward Clerk in Health Administration Service. The incumbent is responsible for a wide range of assignments and provides administrative support to the section.
Duties
DUTIES:
- The incumbent(s) receives telephone calls for the unit, records and relays messages to appropriate staff.
- Provides general information regarding visiting hours, office hours, and whether unit personnel are on duty. Aware of all units to which these policies apply and can identify with each by cross training and rotating units.
- Refers all questions pertaining to a patient's status or condition and all questions requiring medical or triage determination to the nursing staff.
- Coordinate with the medical clinics to send inpatients for required tests, pre-operative procedures, therapies and scheduled appointments based on the doctor's discharge instructions and/or consult management.
- Receives, directs, transfers, and discharges patients; receives and directs visitors; answer routine, abrupt, and emergent inquires and makes appropriate referral of questions concerning patient's condition.
- Coordinate with nursing staff, nursing staff supervisor and bed flow coordinator to assign rooms for new admissions and transfers. Build a medical chart for each new admission.
- Ensure that all required activities have been completed prior to discharging a patient, and that follow-up appointments and/or consults have been accurately scheduled. Prepare admission packets.
- Respond to technical questions regarding patient rights, responsibilities, and advance directives.
- Perform a variety of duties in support of data entry and collection for the unit..
- Accurately maintains the Ward Gains and Losses log. Post patient's appointments, therapy times, and required labs and procedures on boards which are maintained at the nurses' station.
- Performs various administrative duties as it relates to the Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (RRTP) to include admissions and discharges.
- Manage and ensures timely and appropriate scheduling of consults and processes.
- Completes insurance capture entries (ICB) in adherence to local and national measures as third-party collections are a vital aspect of facility revenue. Electronically verifies doctors' orders and alerts staff for time critical medications, labs, x-rays, and EKG's. Manually transcribes doctors' handwritten or electronic orders onto the appropriate medication, pre-op, or treatment sheets for nursing staff. Verifies and corrects patient information in the computer systems concerning treating specialties, providers and times of movements, and informs supervisor of discrepancies.
- The incumbent(s) must be conscientious regarding the confidentiality of the variety of material that will be handled.
- The position requires a practical knowledge of an extensive body of the organization's rules and regulations governing confidentiality, including but not limited to the Privacy Act, Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) .
- Prints out and posts the most current on-call rosters, emergency list, and medical/surgical staff listing as appropriate boards on the wards.
- Ensure that the ward's printers, telephones, fax machines, copiers, document scanners, and shredders are operational and stocked with supplies. .
- Duties are performed independently but with supervision and auditing to ensure compliance with VHA directives, procedures, handbooks, laws and locally established policies.
- Incumbent accomplishes objectives of the Section and uses considerable judgment and initiative in solving problems to ensure efficient operation of their duties. I
- Performance is evaluated on the quantitative and qualitative effectiveness of the incumbent's ability to perform given job duties.
- The incumbent will also assist the Eligibility and Enrollment with management in the completion of data validation.
- Incumbent is responsible for adherence to all provisions of the Equal Opportunity Program in accordance with OPM and VA regulations and established medical center guidelines.
- Complies with all safety/fire prevention rules/regulations, using protective equipment when required and provided. Promptly reports all accidents and notifies supervisor of unsafe/unhealthful conditions in the workplace.
- Attends scheduled training sessions and participants in facility or service level safety promotions as directed by supervisor.
- Knows fire drill and emergency plans for work area, including location of all emergency fire equipment. Understands the facility disaster plan and coordinates section disaster drills.
- The position requires working both regular and irregular tours of duty, holidays and weekends.
- Incumbent(s) may also be required to work on any of the wards under HAS.
Work Schedule: Varied. Will be discussed at the interview.
Telework: Not avalable.Virtual: This is not a virtual position
.Functional Statement #: 26417F
VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELoTotal Rewards of a Allied Health ProfessionalQualifications 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. No experience required.
Education. High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education. (SEE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION UNDER EDUCATION SECTION)
Certification. None required.
Grandfathering Provision. See under Education Section.
Foreign Education. See under Education Section.
Physical Requirements. See under Education Section.
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.
GRADE REQUIREMENTS: See information under Education Section.
Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for placement at grade levels specified.
Medical Support Assistant, GS-05.
Experience or Education.
Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-04). Examples of creditable experience include but are not limited to: interviewing patients for appointments; referring patients to other medical specialty clinics; 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; and scheduling appointments in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. OR
Education. Two years of education above high school.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
(a) Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.
(b) Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution.
(c) 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.
(d) Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting.
(e) Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work.(f) Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone, with internal and external customers.
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 health care 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, and 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.).
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 GS-5.
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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Documentation Requirements for Proof of High School Completion or higher:
- If using post-high school education to substitute for experience at the GS-04 or GS-05, you must submit a copy of your unofficial or official college transcript with your application.
- If selected, to meet the basic requirement of high school education or equivalent and prior to a firm job offer being extended, applicants must provide one of the following as verification of the education requirement if not covered under the grandfathering provision:
- Copy of high school diploma OR high school transcript (unofficial or official) OR GED Certificate OR homeschooling completion OR proficiency certificate issued by a State or Territorial Board or Department of Education OR college transcript (official).
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.
Grandfathering Provision (continued from Qualifications section).
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:
- 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 REQUIREMENTS:
Creditable Experience. Knowledge of MSA Practices. To be creditable, the 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. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment as an MSA or an equivalent position in a non-VA hospital or clinic setting.
Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to MSA experience or equivalent administrative clinical support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting] at the next lower grade level.
Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as an MSA or equivalent administrative patient support in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting] is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, an MSA employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive one full-time workweek of credit for each two weeks of service.
Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.
Preferred Experience: Ability to multi-task, Knowledge of medical terminology, Excellent customer service.Requirements
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
- To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 N 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.
Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.
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 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/13102289. 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, 11/06/2026.
- 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.Other information "Whole Health is an approach to health care that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their life to the fullest. The VA is committed to Whole Health and values Veteran and Employee health and wellbeing. As a VA employee, you will practice Whole Health in an environment that supports personalized and proactive care."
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.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.
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.
