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
• Experience/Education combination
• Two years above high schools or some equivalent experience 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
• 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)
• Grade Determinations: GS-05 Medical Support Assistant - Experience : In addition to meeting the basic requirements, (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-4) Examples of specialized experience at the GS-4 level include but are not limited to: 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 OR Two years above high schools or some equivalent experience Knowledge Skills and Abilities: In addition to meeting the experience/education for the GS-05 level, you must possess all of the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities 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
• Preferred Experience: 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. Physical Requirements:
• The physical demands of this position typically are somewhat sedentary
• The position requires the employee to be occasionally mobile
• periods of daily walking are occasional and require the employee to walk long/intermediate/short distances that can include pushing and/or pulling a 4-wheeled basket or industrial-type cart with a collective weight up to 60-100 pounds
• It's a position that requires occasional moderate lifting of 35 pounds or less
• When the employee isn't mobile, they will be sitting at a workstation
• The position requires the employee to sometimes bend at the waist or stoop down, or to stretch, and to sometimes stand for long/moderate/short periods of time.