Medical Support Assistant

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Aurora (CO); On-site; USD 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

37-50 days of paid time off per year

Federal health and dental insurance

Traditional federal pension plan

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs seeks a Medical Support Assistant in Aurora, Colorado, responsible for managing appointment scheduling and providing information to patients. Applicants should have a high school diploma and U.S. citizenship, with no prior experience necessary. The role offers full-time hours and competitive pay along with extensive paid time off, including vacation and sick leave. This position is not open to telework and will require on-site presence.

Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship required; non-citizens may only be appointed under specific conditions.
• English language proficiency required (spoken and written).
• No experience necessary.

Responsibilities

• Schedule and reschedule patient appointments.
• Review and document clinical and administrative EHR.
• Provide information to patients and resolve complaints.

Skills

Basic medical terminology knowledge

Ability to communicate effectively

Ability to schedule appointments independently

Customer-service skill

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Job description

Summary

The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information—refer to Required Documents below. This role involves the receipt, intake, and indexing of health and administrative information. The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) interfaces with personal computer applications and multiple Vista applications, and is responsible for scheduling appointments—including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.

Qualifications

Applicants pending 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: None.
• Education: High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a state or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
• 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 (applicable to current VHA employees who meet the criteria).
• Grandfathering Provision: Employees in VHA in this occupation under a permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and/or assignment held, including positive education and registration/certification where applicable.
• Employees who do not meet all the basic or assignment‑specific requirements in this standard but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time of appointment are subject to temporary appointment restrictions.
• Grade Determinations for Experience or Education levels:
• Medical Support Assistant – GS‑3 Experience or Education: none beyond the basic requirements.
• Medical Support Assistant – GS‑4 Experience: one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS‑3 level, including application of general rules for clinic functions, staff, and automated data processing methods.
• Medical Support Assistant – GS‑5 Experience: one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS‑4 level, including scheduling and rescheduling patients, interviewing patients for appointments, referring patients to specialty clinics, providing information to patients, interacting with internal and external customers, reviewing and documenting medical records, verifying third‑party insurance, obtaining medical information, and coordinating patient care actions.
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):
• Basic medical terminology knowledge.
• Skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests for follow‑up in internal or external clinics.
• Ability to communicate effectively with individuals from varying backgrounds and healthcare team members.
• Ability to navigate office automation equipment and software, including computer systems, web‑based scheduling programs, insurance collection systems, scanning software, phone systems, and electronic faxing programs.
• Advanced medical terminology knowledge for GS‑5 level.
• Customer‑service skill to identify concerns and refer to appropriate staff.
• Ability to operate programs to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical information (PII) in electronic health records and scheduling systems.
• Ability to schedule appointments independently in a clinical setting.
• Preferred Experience: None.

Physical Requirements

The work is sedentary. While working in nursing units or ED, physical demands include walking, getting up and down from sitting to retrieve items, and carrying items such as papers and folders. Crouching and bending are required to file documents and attend to supply needs. The role may be interrupted frequently by telephone or staff, making it difficult to leave the work area for short periods. No special physical demands are required beyond these duties.

Duties

• IMPORTANT NOTICE: This is an open continuous announcement until September 30, 2026.
• Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available.
• The MSA is responsible for scheduling and rescheduling appointments, referring patients to other medical specialty clinics, providing information to patients to resolve complaints, interacting with internal and external customers, reviewing and documenting clinical and administrative electronic health records (EHR), obtaining medical information from patients, coordinating information and actions related to patient care, and scheduling appointments in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.
• MSA refers all questions regarding medical attention to the appropriate healthcare member.
• Advises clinical staff on current administrative processes.
• Responsible for answering telephone calls, secure messaging, and chat messages, greeting patients, and relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside the facility.
• Performs duties as assigned to ensure efficient and effective operations.

Benefits and Working Conditions

• Work Schedule: Full time; details determined upon selection.
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign‑on Bonus): Not authorized.
• Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized.
• Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases; higher step rate may be awarded for higher or unique qualifications.
• Paid Time Off: 37‑50 days per year, including 13‑26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave for birth, adoption, or foster care placement.
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full‑time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a subsidy up to 25% of eligible childcare costs, up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401(k) with up to 5% VA contribution.
• Insurance: Federal health, vision, dental, term life, long‑term care, and other federal programs as applicable.
• Telework: Not available.
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
• Functional Statement #: 52183A, 52184A, 52185A / 60118A, 60119A, 60120A.

Additional Information

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS‑05. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected is in the range of GS‑03 to GS‑05. Refer to https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/ for additional qualification details.