Medical Support Assistant

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Claremore (OK); On-site; USD 30,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off: 37-50 days annually

Parental Leave: Up to 12 weeks paid

Retirement: Federal pension and 401(k)

Insurance: Health, vision, dental

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is looking for a Medical Support Assistant in Claremore, Oklahoma. The position involves coordinating administrative activities, managing patient schedules, and providing first-line customer service to Veterans. Candidates should possess a high school diploma and demonstrate skills in communication and customer service. The role offers competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities for career growth.

Qualifications

• Candidates must have U.S. citizenship.
• Proficient in English, both spoken and written.
• Experience level may include non-citizens (under specific conditions).
• Mastery in medical terminology and customer service skills is essential.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate admin activity and provide support to staff.
• Manage patient registration and appointment scheduling.
• Assist with consult management and reminders.
• Process hospital admissions and clinic appointments.

Skills

Communication

Customer Service

Medical Terminology

Office Automation Software

Education

High school diploma or GED

Job description

Summary

The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Performs duties related to the receipt, intake, and indexing of health and administrative information. MSAs will interface with personal computer applications and numerous Vista applications. The MSA is responsible for scheduling appointments, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.

Qualifications

• 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, or equivalency 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 (only 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.
• NOTE: This provision is not intended to regularize appointments/placements.
• Grade Determinations: In addition to the Basic Requirements listed above, the following education and experience criteria must be met when determining the grade of the candidates: Medical Support Assistant – GS‑3 Experience or Education – None beyond the basic requirements; Medical Support Assistant – GS‑4 Experience – One year of experience equivalent to the GS‑3 level; Medical Support Assistant – GS‑5 Experience – One year of experience equivalent to the GS‑4 level.
• Medical Support Assistant – GS‑4 Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS‑3 level (applying general rules and policies relating to clinic functions, staff, and automated data processing methods in support of treatment to patients).
• NOTE: The candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities): Knowledge of basic medical terminology; skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests; ability to communicate with individuals from varying backgrounds; ability to use and navigate various office automation equipment and software.
• Medical Support Assistant – GS‑5 Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS‑4 level (scheduling and rescheduling patients for treatment, interviewing, referring to specialty clinics, providing information to resolve complaints, interacting with customers, reviewing and documenting records, verifying third‑party insurance, obtaining medical information, coordinating patient care, scheduling appointments in accordance with guidelines).
• Candidate must also demonstrate advanced KSAs for GS‑5 level: Advanced knowledge of medical terminology; skill in customer service; ability to operate computerized programs, enter and retrieve sensitive medical information; ability to schedule medical appointments; ability to work independently; ability to communicate professionally electronically, by telephone, and in person.
• Preferred Experience: Reference: For more information on this qualification standard – please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
• Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary; walking, crouching, bending; carrying items; constant demands of telephones; no special physical demands required.

Duties

• IMPORTANT NOTICE: This is an open continuous announcement until September 30 – 2026.
• Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available.
• This announcement may close without advanced notice.
• VA Careers – Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo (incumbent is responsible for providing advisory and technical assistance to Veterans and beneficiaries for medical care).
• The incumbent is responsible for coordinating all admin activity in the immediate area and providing support and assistance to staff.
• First‑line customer service representative.
• Greet and provide guidance to stakeholders at outpatient clinics and hospital.
• Process hospital admissions, clinic appointments, patient registration, and validation.
• Assist with managing consults, recall reminders, view alerts, modify sheets and encounters for assigned specialty clinics.
• Perform duties to capture increases through Insurance Capture Buffer (ICB), Patient Check‑IN (PCI), Consult Toolbox, Consult Tracking Manager (CTM+), My HealtheVet (in‑person authentication/secure messaging), patient updates and demographic changes.
• Ensure all consults are resolved within seven days and encounters are resolved daily.
• Provide guidance on scheduling within each section.
• Assist Veterans and professional staff in coordinating scheduled procedures and return appointments.
• Schedule appointments and provide information regarding unit, clinic and hospital policies, procedures, and locations to patients, family members, staff, or refer to other resources for difficult questions.
• Maintain and monitor patient appointment schedules for the unit/clinic and communicate delays to staff and patients.
• Monitor clinic and operating room utilization.
• Make necessary adjustments to support clinic needs.
• Schedule, cancel, and reschedule various exams and procedures.
• Facilitate scheduling of procedures and testing performed by other services.
• Contact next‑day appointments and no‑shows.
• Oversee daily processing of patients for inpatient and outpatient appointments and procedures.
• Review audio reminder cancellation and reschedule reports.
• Provide detailed daily reports to Medical Administration Service leadership, including missed opportunities, consults, encounters, unsigned notes, orders, and other clinic issues.
• Perform administrative follow‑up actions.
• Participate in team meetings to manage and plan patient care.
• Share information and collaborate with the medical team to assure continuity of care.
• Set priorities and deadlines; estimate and report on expected milestones for task completion.
• Communicate team success in performance goals and report progress to supervisor.
• Monitor progress of work and adjust in accordance with established priorities.
• Obtain assistance from supervisors as needed for major issues.
• Safeguard sensitive information against unauthorized disclosures.

Work Schedule

Full time. Work schedule will be determined upon selection.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; higher step rate may be determined based on existing pay and qualifications.
• Paid Time Off: 37‑50 days annually (13‑26 days annual leave, 13 days sick leave, 11 federal holidays). Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service experience.
• Parental Leave: Up to 12 weeks paid after 12 months employment (for birth, adoption, or foster care placement).
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, eligible employees with family income below $144,000 may receive subsidy up to 25% of eligible costs, up to a 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; many federal programs can be carried into retirement.