Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Summary

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The incumbent of this position serves as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant with the Oscar G. Johnson, VAMC (OGJVAMC), Home and Community Based Care department. This department is a patient\-focused, outcome\-oriented care system in which efficient coordination of care is of primary concern.

This care is tailored to each individual Veteran's needs, which allows for proper care, education and support of each Veteran.

This job is open to

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### The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

### Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.

Duties

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The incumbent provides administrative support to clinicians and other administrative and professional staff throughout the medical staff office for purposes of coordinating Home and Community Based Care (H\&CBC) medical care for Veterans when the inpatient or outpatient provider has deemed such care necessary. The VACC program requires administrative scheduling and appointment coordination for diagnostic testing, and consultative appointments for many clinical services.

• Incumbent must receive phone calls in a courteous and timely manner, determine the nature of requests, provide the information desired using privacy rules and established processes.
• A caring, compassionate and sensitive manner is essential when explaining procedures to Veterans and their family both in person and on the phone.
• This position is responsible for generating authorizations for pre\-authorized outpatient, unauthorized and emergency care claims, while making eligibility determinations for the various programs in H\&CBC.
• He/She acts as a liaison between the veteran and the Home and Community Based vendors. Obtains requested reports, x\-rays, labs and any pertinent information required to complete the VACC Coordination consult in CPRS.
• Prioritizes requested procedure based on urgency, combat veteran status and compensation and pension exams.
• Provides advisory and technical assistance to Veterans and staff in answering questions.
• Provides necessary information to the staff and the patient, dealing with a wide range of problems including atypical and complex situations.
• Employee works collaboratively with the Medical Center's managers, PACT Teams, VA providers, HCBC Team and discipline specific functional area professional and clinical leaders, as well as Social Workers, Managers and Non\-VA healthcare professionals and community vendors.
• Employee must acquire knowledge of internal organizational procedures, knowledge of various facility services, knowledge of commonly used medical terminology and abbreviations, and VA acronyms and their meaning.
• Develops and continuously monitors dealings with administrative quality assessment and improvement activities.
• Demonstrates Patient Centered Care (PCC) through the use of effective communication with patients, families, visitors, and members of the interdisciplinary team, including the patient in mutual goal setting, and providing patient advocacy when appropriate.
• Additional duties or tasks may be assigned by the Service Chief or supervisor to ensure efficient daily operations

Work Schedule: Full Time Mon\-Fri 08;00AM\-4:30PM.

Telework: Not Suitable

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement \#:08922F

Requirements

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### Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959\.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre\-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i\-9\-central/form\-i\-9\-acceptable\-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state\-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre\-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2\-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

### Qualifications

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 or Training: Six months experience of clerical, office, \[customer service], or other \[administrative] work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position; OR One year above high school; OR Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.

* Physical Requirements: Must pass a pre\-employment physical per VA Directive and Handbook 5019\.

* English Language Proficiency: MSA's must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j.

IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS LISTED ABOVE, YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING GRADE REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION.

GS\-6 Grade Requirements: You must have one year of experience equivalent to the GS\-5 level. Specialized experience includes, but is not limited to: Advising clinical staff on current administrative processes. Answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit, scheduling, canceling, re\-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults in a computerized scheduling system; interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. Entering no\-show information; monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; participating in huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic, monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when patients check\-in for appointments. Coordinates administrative functions relating to emergency and non\-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals and determines appointment type based on the patient's eligibility status (i.e., TRICARE, sharing agreements, collaterals, research patient, VA employee, etc.).

AND

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate the KSAs below:

• Ability to collaborate and communicate with a wide range of medical clinicians across multiple disciplines (e.g. medical doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, clinical pharmacists, and nursing staff) to accomplish team goal setting to ensure medical care to patients is met.
• Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
• Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing, with internal and external customers. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels, as well as resolving patient concerns.
• Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process. Including, but not limited to, scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community models and patient health care portals as it relates to access to care.
• Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community operational activities that affect patient flow, and patient support care. Administrative functions to include, but not limited to appointment cycles, outside patient referrals, follow\-up care, overbooking, provider availability, etc.
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.

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

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. Physical demands do not exceed those of a typical office setting. There may be some walking, standing twisting, turning, sitting, pushing, bending, repetitive keyboarding, or carrying of light items. Some positions may require sitting for long periods of time at a computer terminal typing data while talking on a telephone headset.

### Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition\-of\-foreign\-qualifications/.

### Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt\-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health\-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full\-time, part\-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How you will be evaluated

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You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

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; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre\-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career\-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Required Documents

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To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp\-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one\-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two\-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF\-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• Other (1\)
• Resume

This position is a FY26 VHA Shortage Occupation Approved for Waiver of Veteran's Preference.

### If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

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All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 03/06/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12892640\.

• To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
• Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

### Agency contact information

Jeremy Burton

Phone

7089010850

Email

Jeremy.Burton1@va.gov

Address

Oscar G Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility

325 East H Street

Iron Mountain, MI 49801

US### Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.

NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community\-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA\-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full\- and part\-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home\-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.

Overview

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Accepting applications

Open \& closing dates

02/25/2026 to 03/06/2026

Salary

$49,846 to \- $64,800 per year

Pay scale \& grade

GS 6

Location

1 vacancy in the following location:

Iron Mountain, MI

1 vacancy

Remote job

No

Telework eligible

No

Travel Required

25% or less \- You may be expected to travel for this position.

Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

Appointment type

Permanent

Work schedule

Full\-time

Service

Excepted

Promotion potential

None

Job family (Series)

• 0679 Medical Support Assistance

Supervisory status

No

Security clearance

Not Required

Drug test

No

Position sensitivity and risk

Non\-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process

• Suitability/Fitness

Financial disclosure

No

Bargaining unit status

No

Announcement number

IM\-12892640\-26\-JB

Control number

858848400