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Posted: January 13, 2026 (1 day ago)

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Advanced Medical Support Assistant

Veterans Health Administration

Department of Veterans Affairs

Fresh

Salary

$54,231 - $70,497

per year

Closes

January 21, 2026

GS-6 Pay Grade

Base salary range: $37,764 - $49,094

Typical requirements: 1 year specialized experience at GS-5. Bachelor's degree + some experience.

Note: Actual salary includes locality pay (15-40%+ depending on location).

Job Description

Summary

This job involves working as an administrative assistant in a VA clinic, handling tasks like scheduling patient appointments, answering phones, greeting visitors, and updating patient information to support healthcare delivery.

It's ideal for someone with customer service experience who is organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable in a fast-paced medical office environment.

The role helps ensure smooth operations for veterans receiving care at the Jackson clinic.

Key Requirements

  • U.S. citizenship (or non-citizen only if qualified citizens unavailable)
  • Proficiency in spoken and written English
  • One year of experience equivalent to GS-5 level in administrative or clerical work in healthcare settings
  • Ability to independently manage full range of duties including scheduling, canceling, and rescheduling patient appointments per VHA guidelines
  • Skills in verifying patient demographics, insurance, and eligibility status
  • Experience answering phones, relaying messages, and coordinating transfers to other facilities
  • Participation in team huddles to address daily clinic needs and monitor appointments

Full Job Description

The incumbent serves as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) in the Clinical Access Management Service (CAMS) for the LTC Charles S.

Kettles VA Medical Center and it's associated Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC).This position is for our Jackson CBOC.

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. 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. 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.

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. Grade Determinations: GS-06 Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level.

You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Independently performs a full range of duties related to the delivery of healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting.

Advises clinical staff on current administrative processes.

Responsible for answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit, scheduling appointments, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.

Scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults. Entering no-show information. Monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources.

Participating in huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic, monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility Verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when patients check-in for appointments.

Coordinates administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals, and determines appointment type based on the patient's eligibility status (i.e., TRICARE, sharing agreements, collaterals, research patient, VA employee, etc.).

Additionally, candidates must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Please make sure that each is addressed in your application package.

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.

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: APPENDIX G45. MEDICAL SUPPORT ASSISTANT QUALIFICATION STANDARD GS-0679.

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: Work requires some physical exertion such as prolonged periods of standing, bending, reaching, crouching, stooping, stretching and lifting moderately heavy items such as manuals and record boxes.

Work environment is in an adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated medical facility setting. The work environment involves everyday discomforts or risks that require normal safety precautions.

Major Duties:

VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The AMSA provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model.

Work involves specialized administrative judgment and the flexible use of a wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and/or care in the community resources.

Some of the major duties of this position include, and are not limited to: Answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit.

Scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.

Entering no-show information. Monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources. Verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when patient's check-in for appointments.

Processing laboratory related activities such as dictation, transcription, upload reference lab results, etc.

Coordinating administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals and determines appointment type based on the patient's eligibility status (i.e., TRICARE, sharing agreements, collaterals, research patient, VA employee, etc.).

Coordinating with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability (utilization) to ensure that clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics and makes adjustments as necessary.

Developing and/or maintaining effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies.

Processing incoming patient secure messaging through My Healthy Vet and coordinates with care team as appropriate.

Participating in team huddles and team meetings to manage, plan, problem solve, and follow-up with patient care by sharing information and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team.

Setting priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs. Identifying incomplete encounters and communicating findings to providers, as needed.

Entering appropriate information into the electronic record; monitoring pre-appointment information and/or requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure.

Managing patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues; evaluating patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether the patient requires an immediate appointment; informing team members about shared patients.

Work Schedule: 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday 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) 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 Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: PD92306A Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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Posted on USAJOBS: 1/13/2026 | Added to FreshGovJobs: 1/14/2026

Source: USAJOBS | ID: CBSR-12864464-26-ACS