Advance Medical Support Assistant

About the role

This is the advanced level of the position. The Advanced Medical Support Assistant (Advanced MSA) works for the San Francisco VA Health Care System (SFVAHCS), of the Sierra Pacific network (VISN 21). The position is located within the Office of Community Care (OCC).

What you will do

• The Advanced MSA performs duties related to the receipt, intake, and indexing of health and administrative information.
• The Advanced MSA performs Community Care Coordination duties related to consult review, scheduling, and the coordination of Community Care documentation.
• The Advanced MSA will interface with numerous clinical and administrative applications required for scheduling, coordination, and management of Community Care referrals.
• The Advanced MSA works collaboratively with staff at the Medical Center, Contract Vendors, Medical Center affiliates, Community Healthcare Providers, and any Third- Party Administrator(s) to coordinate Veteran Community Care and TriWest activities.
• This coordination involves multi-disciplinary communication and coordination as a member of a cross-functional team.
• Advanced MSA assists with the coordination of records between Medical Center, OCC providers and coordinate the return of outside records to the CPRS/VISTA Imaging System to process results to the VA Provider.
• The Advanced MSA maintains effective and efficient communication with the patient, the interdisciplinary team, VA Medical Centers, contract providers and community providers.
• The Advanced MSA(s) supports Patient Safety standards using the correct Veterans Affairs identification of all patients using two forms of identification, name and full social security number.
• The Advanced MSA will coordinate the daily duties for Office of Community Care, which includes but not limited to the processing of authorizations under the Outpatient medical care programs, Inpatient medical care, and miscellaneous other Community Care programs.
• Care Coordination may be complicated by planned and unplanned absences of other Community Care staff.
• Changes in priorities maybe required to meet deadlines.
• The Advanced MSA assists with developing and recommending proposals for the purpose of improving workload distribution, efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity.
• Based on defined objectives by the Supervisor, the Office of Community Care Services determines specific steps to take and implements those using standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• The Advanced MSA uses interpretive skills to follow a variety of technical manuals and instructions, medical center policies, public laws, legal guides, and federal regulations to give instructions to patients, arrange appointments, record data involving outpatient appointments (authorization numbers, date and times of appointments, provider contact information, etc.) using automated medical records systems like HSRM, CTM, EPS & VistA.
• Furthermore, the Advanced MSA is required to have abroad understanding of related programs and how they impact the local, network, and national Community Care functions.
• Frequently, reference materials (technical manuals, directives, policies, etc.) are not completely applicable to some of the work or have gaps in specificity due to the constantly evolving program requirements surrounding Community Care.
• The Advanced MSA must exercise judgment to adapt and interpret guidelines to address specific issues and problems (payment issues, patient complaints, additional requests for services, implementation of new programs) as they arise during performance of day-to-day operations.
• The Advanced MSA coordinates care for Veterans eligible for the Community Care Program which includes processing consults, coordinating care with Community Providers and/or Third-Party Administrators and ensuring that the Veteran receives the necessary medical appointment timely.
• The Advanced MSA coordinates and assures that medical records are received timely, and the Community Care consult is completed and closed when all the treatment has been received.
• The Advanced MSA coordinates between the VA Medical Staff and the Community Providers and/or Third-Party Administrators to ensure that all necessary treatment is provided.Other duties as assigned.
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: No Telework: No Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
• Functional Statement #: 00856-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: None Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment.
• Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• 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 (***).
• 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.

How you will be evaluated

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.

Documents you must provide

• To complete your application, please use the following link *** 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 (Schedule A) Disability Letter (VA) License Professional Certification Resume Separation Notice (RIF) SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

What to expect next

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met.

After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center. NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service.

HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities.

HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities.

HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.

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.