Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Summary

The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) plays a critical role in providing administrative and technical support for the Community Care (CC) Program. The primary responsibility of this position is to ensure seamless coordination of patient care and appointments, while managing all logistics related to Veteran community care. This includes facilitating communication and coordination between the Birmingham VA Health Care System and non-VA providers.

Duties

VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional FUNCTIONS/SCOPE OF DUTIES: The AMSA must possess a thorough understanding of medical center programs and services, as well as the varying priorities and complexities associated with outside specialty care. Duties encompass a wide range of administrative tasks, including but not limited to: Electronic filing Data entry Scheduling appointments and tests Ensuring accurate transfer of medical records between the Birmingham VA Health Care System (BVAHCS) and other facilities Consult management Tracking the status of community appointments Additional responsibilities include: Making daily follow-up (post-care) calls Maintaining an updated database of community medical services to assist Veterans in locating care Processing both emergent and nonemergent consults for community-based medical services. Strong coordination and organizational skills are essential to the success of the facility's multidisciplinary medical team. Serving as a key point of contact for Veterans, their families, and community care providers, the AMSA delivers vital information, assistance, and administrative support. This role requires close collaboration with members of the expanded health care team, including the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT), Specialty Care, pharmacists, social workers, dietitians, and behavioral health professionals. This interdisciplinary approach ensures comprehensive, high-quality care for Veterans. AMSA GS-6 is the full performance level of this position. This position provides medical administrative support to Veterans of the BVAHCS for Community Care services; schedules Veteran appointments with community providers using HSRM or other software scheduling options. Use established business rules to schedule appointments for Veterans which include non- VA clinic visits and consultations. The employee must comply with the mandatory training requirements for the outpatient scheduling processes and ensure all appointments are scheduled within established time constraints while ensuring the provider and patient's preferences for dates and time are met. The employee collaborates, communicates, follows set priorities, and organizes assigned work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies and regulations. Employee demonstrates the ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, both orally and in writing, to meet program objectives. The employee must demonstrate knowledge of the technical health care process as it relates to access to care; communicate with Community Care providers to ensure they accept VA patients and payments. The employee demonstrates the ability to process consults following the Access and Office of Community Care procedures and guidelines and adhering to VHA Directive 1232, the Field Guidebook, Consult Business Rules SOP, Consult Timeliness SOP, and Minimum Scheduling Efforts SOP. At the advanced level, the employee demonstrates the ability to provide training to new staff onboarding in Community Care by utilizing the shadowing method. The employee demonstrates the ability to contact Veterans by telephone to validate consult requests and coordinates appointments with community providers based on the Veteran's preference, as appropriate. The employee is required to demonstrate the ability to use computers to perform a wide variety of recordkeeping, correspondence, tracking operations, managing veteran's PHI/PII in VHA databases or records. The employee must demonstrate knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians; support patient safety standards by following the VA's policy to use two forms of identification-specifically, the patient's name and Social Security Number (SSN) which is designed to ensure that the correct patient is being treated. The employee must verify patient demographic information is accurate and up to date as it is crucial for effective communication and care coordination; frequent validation and updates help in reducing the incidence of returned mail and unsuccessful contact attempts, thereby improving overall patient safety and satisfaction. Work Schedule: Days, hours determined by supervisor Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. 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 #: 62962F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications and evaluation

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

How to apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/10/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13054328. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Required documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV) The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc. Cover Letter Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV) Other (1) SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.