Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Summary

The incumbent serves as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant in the Education Service at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, with primary responsibility for supporting Veteran and staff engagement with MyHealtheVet, Connected Health/Telehealth technologies, Secure Messaging, and related digital health tools.

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Duties

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Duties of this position are, but not limited to :

• The Advanced MSA works collaboratively within Education Service to support Veteran and staff engagement with MyHealtheVet, Connected Health, Secure Messaging, and related technology, performing receptionist duties, customer service, and other duties assigned for the proper and timely support of patients and staff utilizing these programs.
• He/she must assist with technology access contingency plans by adjusting appointments, outreach schedules, or equipment availability as conflicts with staffing and/or coverage occur.
• Incumbent must screen/receive phone calls in a courteous and timely manner, determine the nature of requests and provide the information desired using privacy rules and established Education Service processes.
• The MSA is able to independently manage position responsibilities with little supervision as well as set priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs.
• Coordinates administrative and technical support services for Veterans, family members, caregivers, and administrative and clinical staff to ensure continuity of technology-supported care.
• Incumbent develops and maintains effective working relationships with all clinical and administrative staff in determining priorities of activities in support of Veteran technology adoption and Connected Health services.
• Incumbent must have the knowledge to assume the role of a Program Support Assistant or Medical Support Assistant (MSA) during special projects or heavy workload, for leave, vacancies, or when Program Support Assistants are detailed to fill in other areas.
• Generates patient/technology workload reports for validation and monitors activity in Education Service areas to assure consistent and accurate reporting.
• Conducts patient/employee surveys, interviews, observes workflow; guides patients through My Health Vet enrollment and setup, documents complaints, and provides follow-up and suggests resolutions to supervisor.
• Schedules technology support appointments and utilizes tracking systems accurately in a timely manner.
• Incumbent intervenes to resolve difficult problems and diffuses potential dissatisfaction with VA services in order to prevent congressional and adverse publicity.
• The work requires a high degree of judgment, fact-finding, and coordination with people at various levels (patients, staff, management). Additional duties or tasks may be assigned by the supervisor to ensure efficient daily operations.

Preferred Experience :

Working knowledge of My HealtheVet (MHV), including experience assisting Veterans with account setup, authentication processes, and basic troubleshooting of Secure Messaging features. Ability to support and educate Veterans, caregivers, and staff on digital health tools and telehealth platforms, including providing clear instructions and guidance for credentialing and secure communication. Effective communication and interpersonal skills, demonstrated through experience answering questions, providing one-on-one technical assistance, and participating in outreach or orientation activities. Basic proficiency in technology troubleshooting and navigation, including familiarity with web-based applications and mobile platforms (iOS/Android), and the ability to resolve common user issues or escalate appropriately.

Work Schedule : Monday Thru Friday, 7:30am-1600pm

Telework : Ad Hoc may be available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 000000

Requirements

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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

Basic Requirements :

• Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• Experience. No experience required.
• Education . High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
• Licensure/Certification/Registration. None
• Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

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).

Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) GS-6

This position is above the full performance level for this job series and requires experience beyond the basic requirement for positions in this occupation. You must meet the basic requirements and the following:

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level that equips the candidate with the following:

1. 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. Schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting;
4. Work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work;
5. Communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone, with internal and external customers;
6. Customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution.

AND

Candidates must be able to demonstrate all of the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities below :

1. Ability to collaborate and communicate with a wide range of medical clinicians across multiple disciplines (e.g. medical doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, clinical pharmacists, and nursing staff) to accomplish team goal setting to ensure medical care to patients is met.
2. Ability to independently set priorities and organizes work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
3. Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing, with internal and external customers. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels, as well as resolving patient concerns.
4. Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process (including, but not limited to, scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community models and patient health care portals) as it relates to access to care.
5. Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community operational activities that affect patient flow, and patient support care administrative functions to include, but not limited to appointment cycles, outside patient referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, provider availability, etc.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

The full performance level of this vacancy is 6.

Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

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

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.

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.

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.