Medical Support Assistant

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Johnson City (TN); On-site; USD 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off (37–50 days annually)

Parental leave (up to 12 weeks paid)

Childcare subsidy up to $416.66/month

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a Medical Support Assistant (MSA) in Johnson City, TN. The MSA provides essential clerical and administrative support across various patient care units and assists an interdisciplinary team in maintaining care processes throughout patient stays.

This role requires U.S. citizenship, a high-school diploma or GED, and proficiency in English. The position offers competitive salary, extensive paid time off, parental leave, and health benefits, including retirement plans.

Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship required; non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• No prior experience required; candidates may have high‑school diploma or GED.
• Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting.

Responsibilities

• Support inpatient care processes during length of stay.
• Interpret and verify provider orders, secure follow-up appointments for discharged patients.
• Act as the unit’s main point of contact and information hub.

Skills

Customer-service skills

Knowledge of medical terminology

Ability to use computerized systems

Effective verbal communication

Proficiency in spoken and written English

Education

High-school diploma or GED

Advanced education (two years above high school) preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)

VISTA

CPRS

Bed Management System

Job description

Summary

The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) provides clerical and administrative support across inpatient med‑surgical, critical care, psychiatric, extended, and PACU care units. The MSA assists the interdisciplinary team in maintaining care processes throughout patient stays.

Responsibilities

• Support inpatient care processes during length of stay.
• Interpret and verify provider orders, secure follow‑up appointments for discharged patients.
• Receive admissions and discharges, including inter‑ward and transfers to other facilities.
• Monitor and manage both inpatient and outpatient appointments; cancel or reschedule as needed.
• Send patients to X‑ray, lab, EKG, and other clinics.
• Prioritize events and coordinate unit daily schedules.
• Act as the unit’s main point of contact and information hub; receive phone calls and provide information to staff, clinics, and patients.
• Provide orientation to staff, patients, and visitors.
• Perform data entry in VISTA, CPRS, Bed Management System, and update patient wristband information.
• Build and update medical records, extract information for review.
• Utilize Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) for documentation and reporting.
• Conduct office tasks such as document scanning, filing, faxing, copying, and ordering supplies.
• Support care and treatment on various inpatient units (e.g., Hospice, Surgical, Medical, Telemetry, Oncology, Psychiatric, Progressive Care Unit, ICU, Operating Room).

Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship required; non‑citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited (38 U.S.C. 7407(a)).
• No prior experience required; candidates may have high‑school diploma or GED.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English (38 U.S.C. 7403(f)).
• Applications pending completion of educational or certification requirements may be held until requirements are met.
• Minimum education: high‑school diploma or GED; advanced education (two years above high school) preferred.
• Knowledge of medical terminology sufficient to communicate clinical instructions and interpret diagnoses and procedures.
• Customer‑service skills with the ability to identify concerns and refer to appropriate staff.
• Ability to use computerized systems to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and personal‑identifying information.
• Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting.
• Strong independent work ethic on a wide variety of duties.
• Effective verbal, written, and electronic communication with internal and external customers.

Experience

• One year of experience equivalent to the GS‑4 grade level (e.g., scheduling patient appointments, interviewing patients, documenting records, verifying insurance).
• Alternatively, two years of post‑secondary education above high school may satisfy the experience requirement.

Physical Requirements

The work is mainly sedentary but requires bending, walking, standing, and carrying items such as patient records, supplies, and inter‑office mail.

Work Schedule and Compensation

• Schedule: 3:30 pm – 12:00 am with rotating weekends and holidays.
• Salary: Competitive with regular increases.
• Paid time off: 37–50 days annual paid time off per year (13–26 days annually, 13 days sick leave, 11 federal holidays).
• Parental leave: up to 12 weeks of paid leave after 12 months of employment.
• Childcare subsidy: eligible after 60 days of employment (up to 25 % of qualifying costs up to $416.66 per month).
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5‑year vesting) and federal 401(k) with up to 5 % contribution.
• Health benefits: Federal health, vision, dental, term life, long‑term care insurance.
• Telework: Available.

Additional Information

Functional Statement #: GS‑5: 60763‑F. Please refer to https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/ for detailed qualification standards.