Medical Administrative Assistant

Summary

This is an intermittent position that does not exceed 2 years.

The Medical Administrative Assistant provides support across the medical center during regular & off-tour hours. Duties include processing patient admissions, transfers, & discharges, verifying eligibility and insurance, and managing decedent affairs. The position coordinates patient referrals, beneficiary travel, updates tracking systems like VistA and BMS, generates daily Gains & Losses reports, & resolves administrative issues.

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Duties

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Major duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Conducts admission, discharge, and transfer procedures in accordance with VA and medical center directives.
• Verifies patient eligibility entitlement criteria, demographic data, and third-party insurance information.
• Manages Bed Management System (BMS) updates and executes appropriate bed movements for inpatient units.
• Coordinates patient referrals, transfer criteria, and special transportation arrangements (e.g., ambulances, beneficiary travel).
• Generates, verifies, and finalizes the daily Gains and Losses (G&L) report detailing patient activity, statistical data, and logs.
• Implements decedent affairs activities, including next-of-kin identification, family notifications, autopsy authorizations, release of remains, and safeguarding patient valuables/effects.
• Provides administrative coverage for the Emergency Department and inpatient wards.
• Advises clinical and administrative staff on procedural, legal, and regulatory requirements during off-tour hours.
• Serves as a point of contact for inquiries from the public, patients, families, media, congressional staff, and outside facilities while adhering to Privacy Act and FOIA guidelines.
• Promotes positive patient relations and coordinates activities across hospital services.
• Handles irregular administrative situations, physical plant issues, and emergency/disaster notifications.
• Recalls on-call physicians, clinical staff, administrative support, or engineering personnel during emergent situations.
• Maintains irregular tour logs for overtime, call-backs, and emergency repairs.
• Conducts preliminary investigations and notifies leadership regarding unusual incidents (e.g., injuries, suicides, or foul play).
• Assists with appointment cancellations, rescheduling due to unplanned leave, and orienting rotating clinical staff.
• Conducts analytical reviews, special investigations, and administrative studies to recommend corrective actions.

Work Schedule: Intermittent Schedule - This position has no set tour hours; work is scheduled based on demand.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Medical Administrative Assistant/ PD24017A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• 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
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• 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.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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 probationary period period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/30/2026.

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-6) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: providing administrative support within a healthcare facility during regular or off-tour hours; performing eligibility determinations, verifying patient demographic and insurance information, and processing inpatient/outpatient admissions, transfers, and discharges; managing decedent affairs activities, including next-of-kin identification, postmortem authorizations, and the release of patient remains in accordance with federal and state regulations; coordinating patient referrals, special transportation, and beneficiary travel authorizations; updating patient tracking software such as VistA and Bed Management Systems (BMS); compiling and finalizing daily statistical reports such as Gains and Losses (G&L); using office automation software (e.g., word processing, spreadsheets, presentation graphics, and email) to prepare and maintain administrative records; and handling inquiries or complex administrative issues by communicating policy guidelines and liaising with clinical staff, patients, family members, or external entities.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

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

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.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

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.

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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 windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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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.