Advanced Medical Support Assistant

Full Job Description

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant to the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service at the Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System for Omaha, Lincoln and Grand Island & associated CBOCs.

Incumbent performs clerical and administrative duties within the Service Line, and some tasks may involve confidentiality of personnel matters, fiscal matters and productivity documents.

Provide timekeeping and leave management advice to employees and professional staff.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11:59 PM (ET) on 02/13/2026.

Medical Support Assistant Basic Requirements: Citizenship: Citizen of the United States.

(Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.g.).

Experience and Education: Experience: 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 Education: One year above high school.

OR Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. Certification.

None required. Grandfathering Provision.

All MSAs employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard 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.

Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S.

must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S.

programs. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. English Language Proficiency.

MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.j.

Grade Determinations: Knowledge of MSA Practices: To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) associated with current MSA responsibilities or an equivalent administrative patient support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting.

Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment as an MSA or an equivalent position in a non-VA hospital or clinic setting.

Quality of Experience: Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to MSA experience or equivalent administrative clinical support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting at the next lower grade level.

For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty), and range of varieties as described in this standard, at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.

Part-Time Experience: Part-time experience as an MSA or equivalent administrative patient support in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting is creditable according to its relationship for the full-time workweek.

For example, an MSA employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive one full-time workweek of credit for each two weeks of service.

GS-5 Grade Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level that equips the candidate with the following: 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.

Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.

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.

Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution.

AND GS-6 Grade Requirements: Candidates must be able to also demonstrate all of the knowledge, skills and abilities below (KSAs): 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.

Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.

References: Former VA Handbook Reference: Part II Appendix G45; Effective Date: 8/1/2019; Medical Support Assistant Qualification Standard; GS-6 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6 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. Major Duties:

VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Major duties include (but not limited to): Serves as the primary timekeeper and maintains time and attendance records for all Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service personnel.

Provides administrative and managerial support to professional and allied health staff.

Participates in the management of the Administrative Office by supplying necessary clerical support by performing all procedures/functions promptly.

Based on a good working knowledge of the service's policies, procedures and regulations, the incumbent solves problems and makes independent decisions including the setting of priorities and reassigning duties to provide for fluctuating workloads.

Assists in the preparation and distribution of Service policies and numbered memoranda.

Directs preparation of recurring administrative reports and assistance with special assignments such as space utilization, information required for CAP, Joint Commission, and other accreditations.

Assists in preparation of non-recurring reports and compiling statistical data for recurring reports and audits.

Receives calls, greets visitors, and directs staff members only those contacts needing their attention or actions. Responds to routine and non-routine requests for information.

Incorporates professional etiquette (courtesy, promptness, tactfulness, etc.).

Receives and distributes mail, prepares routine replies, arranges for travel, maintains supervisor's calendars, types and reviews documents for attachments, procedural and grammatical accuracy, dates, signature, and complete addresses.

Arrange meetings, types reports, correspondence, meeting minutes and maintains filing system within the established VA standards.

Provides typing support to the various sections of the Service as required. Maintains suspense files for reports and correspondence to ensure timely submission.

Maintains filing system on all surgical, cytology, and autopsy reports. Type confidential documents and transcribes medical dictation.

Responsible for the daily transcription and data entry of all surgical pathology, autopsy and cytology reports utilizing VISTA. Receives, logs-in, and processes (i.e.

scanning into VISTA Imaging original reports) all JPC reports as well as those reports received from outside reference labs where the outside report must be added to the patient's electronic medical record.

Incumbent then generates supplementary VISTA pathology reports to update patient files.

Assists in the preparation and processing of fee-based procedures for send out lab tests, and overnight deliveries.

Prepare education and training reports as requested for administrative and supervisory personnel.

Performs back-up operational tasks such as placing orders for lab supplies and processing invoices for payment.

Assists in certain budgetary functions and maintains accountability for contract supplies and services. Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday, 7:30 am to 4:00 pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized.

Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) Authorized: This occupational series may be eligible for the SLRP. Repayment is limited to $40,000 annually, up to $100,000 in lifetime awards.

Participants must sign a three-year service agreement and maintain an acceptable level of performance to remain eligible for this program. Contact VHAV23SLRP@va.gov for more information.

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.

When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).

Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer 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: Not Authorized.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.