Medical Support Assistant

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Spirit Lake (IA); On-site; USD 36,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) supports outpatient clinics with essential medical administration, serving as a key member of the clinic team. You will handle appointment management and coordinate administrative information among staff, patients, and caregivers.

Eligibility includes U.S. citizenship and education credentials; development through GS-3 to GS-5 levels with transcripts required in some cases. Strong English proficiency is mandatory.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED (transcripts required).
• Proficiency in spoken and written English as per VA standards.
• Knowledge of basic medical terminology.

Responsibilities

• Provide medical administrative support to outpatient clinics.
• Manage and coordinate appointment scheduling.
• Coordinate information between staff, patients, caregivers and representatives.

Skills

Medical terminology

Communication skills

Office software navigation

Education

High school diploma or GED

One year of education above high school

Tools

Office automation software

Scheduling systems

Electronic faxing

Job description

The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) provides medical administrative support to one or more outpatient clinic and is an integral member of the clinic team to effectively carry out day-to-day administrative operations of the clinic. The MSA is responsible for accurate appointment management and the coordination of all administrative information between the professional staff, patient, patient caregiver and/or representative.

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.
• Education: High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)
• Certification: None Required
• English Language Proficiency: MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.j.

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).

Grade Determinations

Medical Support Assistant (Entry Level) GS-3

• Experience or Education: None beyond the basic requirements.

Medical Support Assistant (Developmental Level) GS-4

• Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade. -OR-
• Education: One year of education above high school. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). -AND-
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
  1. Knowledge of basic medical terminology to assist in the provision of care to patients.
  2. Skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests pertaining to follow‑up medical care in internal or external clinics.
  3. Ability to meet, communicate, and interact with individuals from varying backgrounds and other health care team members in a courteous and helpful manner in order to facilitate medical care for patients.
  4. Ability to use, and navigate between, various types of office automation equipment and software (i.e., computer systems, web‑based scheduling programs; insurance collection system; scanning software, multiple line phone systems; electronic faxing programs) to support patient care.

Medical Support Assistant (Full Performance Level) GS-5

• Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-4 grade level. -OR-
• Education: Two years of education above high school (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). -AND-
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
  1. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.
  2. Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution.
  3. Ability to 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.
  4. Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting.
  5. Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work.
  6. Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone, with internal and external customers.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-5. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to GS-5.

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.