Medical Support Assistant

Summary Join the Indian Health Services as a Medical Support Assistant with the Great Plains Area Regional Drug Dependency Unit in Winnebago, NE. Provide reception and administrative support, assist patients and staff with intake and services, maintain patient records, and assist with patient eligibility and available resources. A REAL ID will be required beginning May 7, 2025, in accordance with 6 C.F.R. 37.5 (2021). Responsibilities Provides front desk, administrative, and clerical support for the drug dependency unit, including answering telephone calls, receiving visitors, assisting patients and staff, and providing required forms and information. Performs patient intake activities and enters and updates patient information in an electronic medical records system. Maintains patient records, forms, reports, and confidential medical information. Assists patients and families in identifying available community and healthcare resources and determining eligibility for alternative resources. Observe, document, and report patient activities, and assist with maintaining patient accountability. Performs administrative duties related to third-party billing, patient eligibility, reports, supplies, and other support activities for the drug dependency unit. Total Compensation Package - Check out IHS's outstanding total compensation package for this job: Medical Support Assistant Total Compensation | Pay (ihs.gov) Requirements Conditions of Employment Selectee may be subject to a probationary period U.S. Citizenship is required Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 This is a competitive vacancy announcement advertised under Delegated Examining Authority. Selections made under this vacancy announcement will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would therefore be given new appointments to the civil service; however, benefits, time served, and all other Federal entitlements would remain the same. Physical Demands: The work involves walking, sitting, standing, reaching and bending in the assessment and treatment of patients. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit Background Investigation Requirement: This position requires the successful completion of a federal background investigation as a condition of employment. A background investigation is a standard process used by the Federal Government to verify an individual's identity, employment history, education, and other relevant information to determine suitability for Federal service. Upon receipt of instructions, applicants must complete all required background investigation forms within five (5) calendar days of issuance. Timely completion is critical to avoid delays in processing or a determination of unsuitability. Applicants are strongly encouraged to prioritize this requirement and to maintain regular communication with their assigned Personnel Security Specialist throughout the process. Financial Suitability Requirement: This position requires a review of the applicant's financial history as part of the personnel security and suitability determination. Applicants must demonstrate financial responsibility, maintain good standing with creditors, and satisfy all legal financial obligations prior to applying. Individuals with substantial delinquent or unresolved financial obligations-including, but not limited to, delinquent federal or state tax liabilities, defaulted federal student loans, court-ordered fines or fees, or child support arrears-may be deemed unsuitable for employment with the Indian Health Service (IHS). Prior to the appointment, candidates must present two valid forms of identification. If one of the documents is a state-issued ID or driver's license, it must be REAL ID-compliant. Qualifications To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying. 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; religious; spiritual; community; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: GS-04: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of general experience. General experience is progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work that indicates your ability to perform the work of this position at the GS-04 level. OR Two (2) years of education above the high school level. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial, or technical school, junior college, college, or university. OR A combination of education and experience that, when combined, fully meet the minimum qualifications for the GS-04. GS-05: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Providing reception and administrative support in a healthcare setting; receiving visitors, answering telephone calls, and responding to routine requests for information; performing patient intake activities, and entering or updating patient information in an electronic medical record system; maintaining patient records, forms, reports, or confidential medical information. OR Four (4) years of education above the high school level. OR A combination of education and experience that, when combined, fully meet the minimum qualifications for the GS-05. GS-06: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: Providing reception and administrative support in a healthcare setting; providing customer service and assisting patients with routine requests or services; performing patient intake activities and maintaining patient information in an electronic medical record system; maintaining patient records, forms, reports, and confidential medical information; assisting patients with eligibility or available resources; performing administrative support activities related to patient services or third-party billing. In describing your experience, please be clear and specific. We do not make assumptions regarding your experience. Your resume must support your application responses. You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement. Education There are no education requirements. If you are substituting education for experience: You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed, and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education may be credited. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: 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 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. ( Additional selection(s) of candidates may be possible within 240 days from the date the certificate of eligibles was issued for this announcement. This position is covered by a Bargaining Unit. You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you. Recruitment or relocation incentives may be authorized. At least a 6 month service agreement will be required. This position has promotion potential to the GS-GS-6 grade level. Promotion to the next grade level is at management's discretion and is based on your demonstrated ability to perform the higher level duties, the continuing need for the higher level duties, and "Regulatory/Administrative" approval. Promotion to the next higher grade level is not guaranteed and no promise of promotion is implied. IHS Selectees whose duties and responsibilities require them to work permanently, temporarily, or occasionally in an IHS healthcare facility must comply with the IHS Employee Immunization Policy related to vaccine-preventable diseases, consistent with recommendations for healthcare workers. Vaccine exemption requests may be available, as outlined in the IHS Employee Immunization Policy and facility guidance. You will be evaluated for this position in accordance with the OPM Merit Hiring Plan. As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide short essay responses (200 words or less each) to the following four questions. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Your responses are optional and will not be scored. However, they may be reviewed by hiring managers and agency leadership (or designees) during the evaluation process. You will be asked to certify that your responses are written in your own words and that you did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) tool (such as ChatGPT or Copilot).