Medical Support Assistant

The incumbent serves as Medical Support Assistant (MSA) in Health Administration Service (HAS) at the San Diego VA Healthcare System. HAS has a large number of MSA positions and incumbents may be required to serve in Specialty Clinics. An MSA performs duties to include scheduling patient appointments, tracking, reviewing, and responding to electronic orders, consults, and other elements in the electronic medical record and medical systems.

Applicants pending the 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 :

• Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency. MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
• Experience and Education .
  • (1) Experience . None
  • (2) Education . High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.

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 Requirements :

• GS-3: Experience: None, beyond basic requirements.
• Education: None, beyond basic requirements.
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• GS-04: In addition to the Basic Requirements for employment listed above, the candidates must posses at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-03 grade level.
• Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade,; Or;
• Education: One year of education above high school; Or;
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience or education above, c andidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
  • Knowledge of basic medical terminology to assist in the provision of care to patients.
  • Skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care in internal or external clinics.
  • 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.
  • 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.
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• GS 05 (Full Performance Level): In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements , candidates must possess one (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-4 Grade Level.
  • Experience . One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade; OR,
  • Education. Two years of education above high school. AND,
  • Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience or education above, candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
    • Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.
    • Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution.
    • 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.
    • Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting.
    • Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work.
    • 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 .

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS 05. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS 03 to GS 05.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary with prolonged periods of sitting. The work requires moderate lifting, carrying, pushing, standing; reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; ability to read without strain; ability to hear the whispered voice with or without hearing aid; emotional & mental stability. Documentation Requirements for Proof of High School Completion or higher

If using post-high school education to substitute for experience at the GS-04 or GS-05, you must submit a copy of your unofficial or official college transcript with your application.

If selected, to meet the basic requirement of high school education or equivalent and prior to a firm job offer being extended, applicants must provide one of the following as verification of the education requirement if not covered under the grandfathering provision.

• Copy of high school diploma Or ,
• High school transcript (unofficial or official) Or ,
• GED Certificate Or ,
• Homeschooling Completion Or ,
• Proficiency certificate issued by the State or Territorial Board or Department of Education Or ,
• College transcript (official)

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: . 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: .