Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)
What you'd do
The incumbent serves as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant in the Education Service at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, with primary responsibility for supporting Veteran and staff engagement with MyHealtheVet, Connected Health/Telehealth technologies, Secure Messaging, and related digital health tools.
Major duties
Duties of this position are, but not limited to: The Advanced MSA works collaboratively within Education Service to support Veteran and staff engagement with MyHealtheVet, Connected Health, Secure Messaging, and related technology, performing receptionist duties, customer service, and other duties assigned for the proper and timely support of patients and staff utilizing these programs. He/she must assist with technology access contingency plans by adjusting appointments, outreach schedules, or equipment availability as conflicts with staffing and/or coverage occur. Incumbent must screen/receive phone calls in a courteous and timely manner, determine the nature of requests and provide the information desired using privacy rules and established Education Service processes. The MSA is able to independently manage position responsibilities with little supervision as well as set priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs. Coordinates administrative and technical support services for Veterans, family members, caregivers, and administrative and clinical staff to ensure continuity of technology-supported care. Incumbent develops and maintains effective working relationships with all clinical and administrative staff in determining priorities of activities in support of Veteran technology adoption and Connected Health services. Incumbent must have the knowledge to assume the role of a Program Support Assistant or Medical Support Assistant (MSA) during special projects or heavy workload, for leave, vacancies, or when Program Support Assistants are detailed to fill in other areas. Generates patient/technology workload reports for validation and monitors activity in Education Service areas to assure consistent and accurate reporting. Conducts patient/employee surveys, interviews, observes workflow; guides patients through My Health Vet enrollment and setup, documents complaints, and provides follow-up and suggests resolutions to supervisor. Schedules technology support appointments and utilizes tracking systems accurately in a timely manner. Incumbent intervenes to resolve difficult problems and diffuses potential dissatisfaction with VA services in order to prevent congressional and adverse publicity. The work requires a high degree of judgment, fact-finding, and coordination with people at various levels (patients, staff, management). Additional duties or tasks may be assigned by the supervisor to ensure efficient daily operations. Preferred Experience : Working knowledge of My HealtheVet (MHV), including experience assisting Veterans with account setup, authentication processes, and basic troubleshooting of Secure Messaging features. Ability to support and educate Veterans, caregivers, and staff on digital health tools and telehealth platforms, including providing clear instructions and guidance for credentialing and secure communication. Effective communication and interpersonal skills, demonstrated through experience answering questions, providing one-on-one technical assistance, and participating in outreach or orientation activities. Basic proficiency in technology troubleshooting and navigation, including familiarity with web-based applications and mobile platforms (iOS/Android), and the ability to resolve common user issues or escalate appropriately. Work Schedule: Monday Thru Friday, 7:30am-1600pm Telework: Ad Hoc may be available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000
What you need to qualify
Basic Requirements: Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). Experience. No experience required. Education. High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education. Licensure/Certification/Registration. None Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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). Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) GS-6 This position is above the full performance level for this job series and requires experience beyond the basic requirement for positions in this occupation. You must meet the basic requirements and the following: REQUIRED EXPERIENCE: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level that equips the candidate with the following: 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; Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients; Schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting; Work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work; Communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone, with internal and external customers; Customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution. AND Candidates must be able to demonstrate all of the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities 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 organizes 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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is 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 position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.
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