Medical Support Assistant

Summary The Wichita VA Medical Center is recruiting for two Medical Support Assistant to work in the Health Administration department. Two positions are available within the following departments: Behavioral Health M-TH 9:30am-6:00pm & Fri 8:30-5:00pm Medicine Service M-Fri 8:00am-4:30pm Veteran's Preference does not apply Responsibilities The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) is responsible for evaluating, advising and assisting Veterans who seek inpatient and outpatient services, and requires the knowledge of medical terminology, procedures, and regulations as they pertain to eligibility, scheduling, and administrative responsibilities for inpatient units, outpatient clinics, specialty departments, call centers, and support services. The full performance level (GS-5) MSA independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting.Duties include, but are not limited to; Scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults and 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.). Work Schedule: Two positions are available within the following departments: Behavioral Health M-TH 9:30am-6:00pm & Fri 8:30-5:00pm Medicine Service M-Fri 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of Employment 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 ( 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. 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; 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. 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 and Education: Experience: None and Education: High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education. Grade Determinations: GS-5 MSA (Full Performance Level) In addition to the basic requirements listed above, applicants at the GS-5 grade level must also meet the following requirements: Experience: One-year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-4). 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. OR, Education: One years of education above high school. AND In addition to the experience/education, your resume MUST demonstrate all the below Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). Ability to operate computerized programs and systems to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient identifying information (PII) into or from electronic health records, scheduling systems, and/or reports. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures enough to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients. Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting. Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work. Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone with internal and external customers. Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure satisfactory resolution. To be creditable, any experience claimed for consideration 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. We cannot assume anything. If you would like credit for your experience, please make sure you list the Job Title, dates of employment, work schedule (full-time or part-time or list number of hours), and a complete list of the duties you performed for each job. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, but may require some walking, bending, stooping, standing, stretching, and carrying objects such as files/binders. Work also requires spending considerable time performing keyboarding and telephone duties. 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 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.