Medical Support Assistant

Summary The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) serves at the Birmingham, AL Health Care System. THIS OPEN & CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT (OCA) , which closes on 02/27/2026. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be on or about 11/07/25 with subsequent reviews every two weeks as additional vacancies occur or on an as‑needed basis, until positions are filled. Please see the “What To Expect Next” area of the announcement which provides additional information. Overview Help Accepting applications Open & closing dates 10/28/2025 to 09/30/2026 $48,146 to – $62,584 per year GS 5 2 vacancies in the following location: Birmingham, AL No No Not required No Permanent Full‑time Competitive Promotion potential None Job family (Series) 0679 Medical Support Assistance No Not Required No Non‑sensitive (NS)/Low Risk Trust determination process Suitability/Fitness No No CBTB-12820251-26-ME 848982200 Help The public U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S. Federal employees – Competitive service Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s hiring rules and pay scales. Federal employees – Excepted service Current federal employees whose agencies have their own hiring rules, pay scales and evaluation criteria. Internal to an agency Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement. Clarification from the agency VETERANS PREFERENCE IS WAIVED FOR THIS OCCUPATIONAL SERIES IAW Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) BULLETIN “FY26 Staffing Shortage Determinations” dated: 10/1/2025. Areas of Consideration are as follows: 1. Current permanent VA employees of the Ralph H. Johnson VA Healthcare System and its outlying Clinics. 2. Current permanent VA employees of other facilities. 3. Current permanent Federal employees of other agencies. 4. Public/ US Citizens. Videos Duties Help This vacancy announcement establishes an “Open Continuous Announcement” for eligible applicants to be considered for this position. The first list of eligible applicants will be referred to the Selection Official 10/07/25. Applications received after this date, will be referred as additional staffing needs arise, throughout the life of the announcement. All qualified applications received by the cut‑off date and/or when the hiring manager requests for candidates will be notified at that time. Those candidates that meet eligibility will be forwarded to the selecting official for a review. A selection may be made at any time during the opening of the announcement. We utilize Open Continuous announcements to accept applications in anticipation of vacancies. Extended announcements provide us a readily available source of applicants when vacancies do occur and are approved. If a vacancy does not occur for the location and grade for which you are qualified and apply, no further notification concerning the announcement will be provided. All application packages remain eligible for consideration for 90 days after submission to the announcement. To remain eligible for consideration beyond 90 days, a new application submission is required to indicate your continued interest. The Advanced MSA provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. Work involves specialized administrative judgment and the flexible use of a wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and/or care in the community resources. Recommends changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines. Coordinates with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability (utilization) to ensure that clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics, and makes adjustments as necessary. ++ Major Duties: ++ Answer 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 Schedule, cancel, re‑schedule patient appointments and/or consults Enter no‑show information and monitor appointment requests from multiple electronic sources Participate in huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic Monitor both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility Verify and update demographics and insurance information when patients check‑in for appointments Coordinate 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.) Serve as an initial point of contact for the units, clinics, patient, call centers, CitC, to include, but not limited to, scheduling patient appointments, tracking, reviewing, and responding to electronic orders, consults, and other elements in the electronic medical record and medical systems Utilize practical knowledge of computerized data entry, information processing systems and software related to patient care, the healthcare system’s organization and services, basic rules and regulations governing visitors and patient treatment Apply, knowledge of standard procedures, utilizing medical records, and medical terminology The Advanced Medical Support Assistant can serve in one of the many areas listed below: Business Office Community Based Clinics Health Administration Mental Health Nursing Acute Care Occupational Medicine Primary Care Work Schedule : This will be discussed during the interview, multiple work schedules available. Work schedule will be determined upon selection. NOTE: May be expected to work evenings, rotating weekends, and/or holidays. Telework : Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement # : 00000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year). Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long‑term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Conditions of employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. 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 Effective May 7, 2025, driver’s licenses or state‑issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre‑employment physical examination. 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; 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. 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. 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 Medical Support Assistant, GS‑5 (a) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS‑4 grade level; Experience includes: 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; 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; Advanced knowledge of medical terminology to assist in the provision of care to patients; Skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests pertaining to follow‑up medical care in internal or external clinics. OR, (b) Education. Four years of education above high school. (c) 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. 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. (d) 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 The full performance level of this vacancy is 5. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 3 to 5. Physical Requirements: The majority of work is performed in an office setting, primarily while seated. The position requires some standing, ambulation, bending and carrying of items such as training manuals. In addition, there can be increased stress due to the intensity of a patient/customer complaint or concern. 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: 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: Additional information Receiving Service Credit or 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. 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. Expand Hide additional information Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits. A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits. Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full‑time, part‑time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full‑time, part‑time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered. How you will be evaluated You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. 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. Required documents Required Documents Resume Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one‑page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two‑page restricted ‘Resume’ document upload field. Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the ‘Other’ document upload field. The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF‑50’s (current/former Federal employees), etc. Cover Letter DD‑214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (Schedule A) Disability Letter (VA) License Other (1) PCS Orders Performance Appraisal Professional Certification Resume Separation Notice (RIF) SF‑15 SF‑50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript #J-18808-Ljbffr