Veterans Health Administration Logo
Position Title
Medical Support Assistant
Agency
Veterans Health Administration
Announcement Number
CBTG-12665275-25-KI Opens in new window
Open Period
Friday, January 10, 2025 to Friday, January 24, 2025
For preview purposes only. To apply, please return to the USAJOBS announcement and click the Apply button.
Eligibilities
1. Are you an employee of the facility indicated for this position?
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.

To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50).  Your SF-50 must include enough information to be able to determine that time-in-grade requirements have been met (if applicable) and include your position title, pay plan/series/grade, tenure and the type of appointment (i.e. Competitive or Excepted).  Please be aware that award SF-50's do not always include this pertinent information.
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2. Are you a current permanent Federal employee from an agency other than Department of Veterans Affairs?

To verify your eligibility, you must submit a copy of your latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50) or equivalent personnel action form.
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3. Are you a Veterans Health Administration employee?
This includes: Career/Career Conditional or Excepted Service (i.e. Canteen, Hybrid, Title 38, etc. and meets interchange agreement requirements). This does not include temporary, term or temporary intermittent.
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Preferences
1. Select the location(s) you want to be considered for. You must choose at least one location. (limit characters)
2. Which of the following items describes your current or recent (within the last five years) political appointee service?

If you responded yes to any of the items below, you will need to include a SF-50 specifying your prior service.
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Your resume must be submitted in English and include the following information for each job listed:
  • Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible)
  • Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
  • Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
  • Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held
  • Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail.
Recommended: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications. Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages or encrypted, and digitally signed documents linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.
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By submitting your application, you are certifying, to the best of your knowledge and belief, all the information submitted by you with your application for employment is true, complete, and made in good faith, and that you have truthfully and accurately represented your work experience, knowledge, skills, abilities and education (degrees, accomplishments, etc.). The information you provide as part of your application may be investigated. You are also certifying, and acknowledging, that misrepresenting your experience or education, or providing false or fraudulent information in, or with your application, may affect your eligibility for appointment and/or continued employment. False or fraudulent statements may be punishable by fine or imprisonment (18 U.S.C. 1001). (limit characters)
3. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Are you proficient in basic written and spoken English? (limit characters)
Assessment 1
Read the announcement and all items in this questionnaire with care, review your resume for accuracy in detailing how your knowledge, skills, and abilities compliment the announced position. (limit characters)
Select “Yes” or “No” to the following question(s). (limit characters)
1. To qualify for a Medical Support Assistant position, you must meet one of the basic following requirements:
(a) Experience: Six months experience of clerical, office, customer service, or other administration work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position OR
(b) Education: One year above high school; OR
(c) Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.

Grandfather 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. (Note: You must include a SF50 verifying you were appointed to a GS-0679 dated on or before August 1, 2019.)

Do you meet the basic requirements for the MSA position or meet the grandfather provision, described above?
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2. GS-03 GRADE REQUIREMENTS:
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
  1. Ability to meet, communicate, and interact with individuals in a courteous and helpful manner in order to give instructions and arrange appointments.
  2. Ability to utilize computer systems to enter administrative data in patient systems.
  3. Ability to learn and utilize basic medical terminology to record patient messages and physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care.

Do you meet the KSA requirements for the GS-03 level?
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3. GS-04 GRADE EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: To qualify at this level, candidates must have:
(a) one year of experience, equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-3 grade), performing 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) 2 years of education above high school.

Do you meet the GS-4 requirements described above?
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4. GS-04 KSA REQUIREMENTS:Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Knowledge of basic medical terminology to assist in the provision of care to patients.
  4. Skill recording patient messages and understanding physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care in internal and external clinics.
Do you meet the KSA requirements for the GS-04 level?
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5. GS-05 GRADE REQUIREMENT: To qualify at this level, candidates must have one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-4 grade) 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 Medical Support Assistant (MSA) position. Note: Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to Medical Support Assistant experience or an equivalent administrative clinical support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting.
OR
Have successfully completed 4 years of education above high school.

Do you meet the GS-05 requirements described above?
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6. GS-05 KSA REQUIREMENTS:Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
  1. 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.
  2. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.
  3. Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting.
  4. Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties [performing patient support work].
  5. Ability to communicate effectively and professionally [in person, electronically, and/or by telephone], with [internal and external customers].
  6. Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution.
Do you meet the GS-5 KSA requirements described above?
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