Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

About the Role

This position is within the Connected Care Services at the Bedford VA Healthcare System in Bedford, Massachusetts. It is permanent and full-time at 40 hours per week.

Responsibilities

This position serves as a Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) and is responsible for a wide range of assignments, providing administrative support to the assigned section. Duties may include but are not limited to:

• Supporting clinics regarding clinic profile management
• Collecting and updating insurance information from Veterans, family members, and other eligible patients
• Preparing correspondence and memos as needed
• Screening and receiving phone calls in a courteous and timely manner, determining the nature of requests, and providing information using privacy rules and established clinic processes
• Ensuring data is entered into VISTA accurately and scanning documents into VISTA Imaging within 24 hours of entering the data into VISTA, if applicable
• Promoting Veterans registration for and utilization of MyHealthyVet (MHV) and kiosks usage
• Following procedures regarding Community Care referrals
• Serving as the initial point of contact for units, clinics, patients, call centers, and Care in the Community regarding various aspects of patient appointments and referrals
• Entering Veterans seeking emergent/urgent care and scheduling appointments accurately
• Pre-registering Veterans during check-in and utilizing call lists and telephoning Veterans before their scheduled visits
• Updating all patient demographics
• Communicating and interacting with patients in a manner appropriate to the cognitive, emotional, and chronological maturation needs of adult and/or geriatric patients

Requirements

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

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d).
• Education: High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.

Grade Determination (Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) GS-06)

In addition to the Basic Requirements listed above, the following criteria must be met:

• Experience: One (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in Federal service (GS-05).
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following:
  • 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.
  • 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.

Documentation Requirements

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 a State or Territorial Board or Department of Education OR college transcript (official).

Grandfathering Provision

All Medical Support Assistants (MSAs) employed in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard (February 20, 2026) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, which are a part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:

• Such employees may be reassigned, promoted, or changed to a lower grade within the occupation.
• Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
• If an employee who was converted to Title 38 hybrid status under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

Schedule

Monday-Friday, 7:00am-3:30pm.

Benefits

• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time off per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year). Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work experience or military service experience.
• Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
• Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement).
• Telework: Ad-Hoc available.

Additional Information

• This is not a virtual position.
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized.
• Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized.
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06.
• This position is not in the Bargaining Unit.
• Due to a critical staffing shortage, 38 U.S.C. 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference for this job announcement.
• Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50 (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. Do not submit an award SF-50.
• This position is covered by a special rate.
• Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment.
• Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.