Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Summary Advanced Medical Support Assistant Provides clerical support to the operating room nurse manager - preop/PACU nurse manager - surgery clinic nurse manager - as well as frontline staff reporting to the department's managers. These activities include patient management - surgery schedule management - data collection and analysis as requested - participation in performance improvement programs - and timekeeping. Qualifications All requirements must be met by the close date of this announcement - 10/16/2026. Basic Requirements United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA PolicyEducation: High school diploma - General Education Development equivalency certificate - or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of EducationForeign Education: To be creditable - education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentialsEnglish Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C.7403(f)Grade Determinations: GS-6 Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade - GS-5. This experience includes: Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patientsSkill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns - and refer to the appropriate staff - as necessary - to ensure a satisfactory resolutionAbility 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 reportsAbility to schedule medical appointments in a clinical settingAbility to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support workAbility to communicate effectively and professionally in person - electronically - and/or by telephone - with internal and external customersAND Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) 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(b) 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(c) Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians(d) 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(e) Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines - ensuring compliance with established processes - policies - and regulations(f) Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively - electronically - by phone - in person - and in writing - with internal and external customersThis may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels - as well as resolving patient concernsPreferred Experience: Experience in a surgery department or clinic preferredMSA experience preferredReference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6. Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this positionQuestions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. Duties Duties include - but are not limited to: 1Education Liaison for Surgical ServicesKeeps staff informed of the status of their education requirements and requests - as directed by the operating room nurse managerMaintains training - competency and in-services logs for associated managers within the surgery departments2Customer ServiceGather medical information if needed - as directed by the nurse manager(s) Reports backlogs - difficulties in meeting deadlines - uncooperative physiciansAbility to identify customers' concerns - perform tasks required to resolve the issues with accuracy and timeliness - and follow-up as necessary to ensure a satisfactory resolutionResolve difficult problems and diffuse potential dissatisfaction with VA servicesGreet patients and family members upon their arrival at the Preop-Op deskassist in checking the patient in for surgery - notifying the preop nurses - and accompanying the patient/family into a preoperative bay as directed by the preop nursing staffGreet vendorsprovide assistance for signing into the vendor tracking system per NWI policyprovide name badge to the vendor per NWI policyescort vendor to locker room or appropriate operating room as neededGreet surgeons and residents maintain a courteous - compassionate - and helpful attitude with all individuals encountered throughout the day 3Maintain medical charts and reportsGenerate reports and monitor activity as requested by the nurse managers and distributes to appropriate individualsCreate and respond to messages within 24 hours while on duty - not accounting for leaveServe as a technical advisor and liaison for daily use softwareProtect sensitive patient information by keeping PII/PHI properly stored4Timekeeping DutiesAccurately enters timecard information for OR - Preop/PACU - Surgery Clinic to include shift worked - time off - sick leave - on-call time - overtime - FMLAMaintains FMLA tracking log and keeps manager informed when employee(s) are requesting FMLA outside of approved occurrencesKeeps manager informed when employee(s) reaching 40 hours of remaining FMLAManages - creates - and distributes bi-weekly employee sign-in sheetsprints new sheets before the new pay perioddenotes scheduled on-call hoursCompletes corrections timelyensures all timecards are verified timelychanges employee TOD as needed and with manager approvalupdates online call spreadsheetcompleted DOAs/payroll ticket to have appropriate backups for second level approvals for overtime and time offEnters payroll tickets when issues with timekeeping arisekeeps department manager(s) informed of the issue - the ticket placement - and the identified resolutionCoordinates with back-up timekeepers for coverage during times of leavecommunicates coverage plans in advance of leave with the department manager(s)5Serves as a mentor to new surgery AMSAsLearns new processes to oversee training and implementation among other AMSAsProvides guidance to staff members to include changes in policy and proceduresProvides training during orientation and/or remedial training for existing staff as neededResolve daily workplace issues as appropriate6Performs administrative dutiesMonitor copier/fax machinesAnswers and routes incoming phone calls to the appropriate personAnswers the telephone with a pleasant greeting to include location (surgery department) - employee name (this is *first name*) - ending with a pleasantry (how can I help you)Enters and monitors work orders in Maximo - YourIT - Payroll and other software systems as neededWork Schedule: Full-timeMonday-Friday - 0700-1530 Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual positionFunctional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized