Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)

Summary

This Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), also referred to as an Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) is in the Health Administration Service of the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center located in Houston, TX including outlying community based out-patient clinics.

Duties

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The position is located at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center (MEDVAMC) and is organizationally aligned under the Domiciliary Residential and Rehabilitation Treatment Program (DRRTP) within the Veterans Care and Transitional Service Line. The duties of the Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) include but are not limited to: Accepts all telephone calls to the Domiciliary regarding program inquiries and utilizes "administrative" systems knowledge in assessing patient/caller needs, practices independent decision-making, coordinates care needs and direct problem resolution as appropriate. Determines the nature of the call and/or refers the call to the appropriate clinical or administrative personnel as needed. Utilizes computer technology to ensure continuity of care through accurate patient information, communication, and documentation. Uses the Veterans Health Information & Technology Architecture (Vista) and Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) to access information in the VA Healthcare Computer System as needed. Computer Knowledge - Applies knowledge of various software functions (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint to manipulate and arrange data in documents with complicated formats such as graphics and tables. Understands advanced software capabilities sufficiently to utilize the more advanced function keys in a manner that increases productivity, e.g. enters, sorts, calculates, retrieves, and revises data for documents: Acts as a patient advocate and tries to resolve patient needs to the best of their ability and/or notifies Supervisor of issues. May be asked to assist with the training and/or orientation of administrative duties to new staff as needed. Serves as primary timekeeper for the Domiciliary and maintains reports of assigned Domiciliary staff leave schedule. Assists with the requisition of office supplies, equipment maintenance, prepares and distributes meeting minutes, maintains electronic and paper files in accordance with Veterans Health Administration Records Control Schedule 10-1. Assists with a full range of administrative procedural work for the Domiciliary as assigned. Complies with all safety/fire prevention rules/regulations, using protective equipment when required and provided. Promptly reports all accidents and notifies Lead/Supervisor of unsafe/unhealthful conditions in the workplace. Attends scheduled training sessions and participates in facility or service level safety promotions as directed by the Domiciliary Chief. Knows fire drill and emergency plans for work area, including location of all emergency fire equipment. Anticipates problems and attempts to prevent their recurrence when possible. Identifies procedural problems and brainstorms to implement a change as warranted. Actively participates as a team member through various duties as assigned, multidisciplinary program meetings, direct interaction with the Chief, development and implementation of Standard Operating Procedures, workflows, goals, and objectives. Position may require the incumbent to occasionally operate a GSA vehicle in performance of their duties. Work Schedule: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM; Monday - Friday with possible extended hours based on patient care.(subject to change based on the needs of the service) Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized 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 #: 02416-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this 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 identification 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

Area of Consideration - Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order: 1st Area of Consideration - current permanent "Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center" employees including satellites; 2nd Area of Consideration - current permanent Veterans Healthcare Administration employees; 3rd Area of Consideration - current permanent VA Nationwide employees; 4th Area of Consideration - current other federal employees; and 5th Area of Consideration - all other applicants. 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 10/13/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13080361. 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) Resume Requirement: Your resume must include the following information: Job title, description of duties, beginning and ending date (month/year) of employment, and average hours worked per week. SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Eligibility): Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee Examples of appropriate SF-50's include: Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old. Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field. 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 DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (VA) Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV) Other (1) SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript

Additional information

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. 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.