Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) - Mental Health

Summary

The Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) is located at the Fargo VA Medical Center within the Mental Health department. This position provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively with-in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model.

Duties

• VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo Major duties include but are not limited to: Customer service: greets and check-in patients, assists patient with mobile check-in if needed; gathers medical information if needed; refers patients to the appropriate member of the health care team as needed; reports backlogs, difficulties in meeting deadlines, and uncooperative physicians; documents complaints; ability to identify customer's concerns, performs the tasks required to resolve the issues accurately and timely, and follow up as necessary to ensure a satisfactory resolution; resolves difficult problems and diffuses potential dissatisfaction with VA services. Performs receptionist duties: monitors copying and faxing; answers and routes incoming phone calls. Maintains medical charts: generates patient workload reports and monitors activity; serves a technical advisor and liaison (VISTA, CPRS, VSE, IPPS, etc.,); responds to secure messages; responds to appointment requests through VAOS. Follows the current VA Scheduling Directive and Minimum Scheduling efforts. Checks recall reminder lists to avoid delinquencies; prepares for clinics-including printing appointment and clinic lists; monitors ICB and patient demographics; ensures encounter forms are completed; ensures return to clinic orders are completed daily; ensures recalls are completed daily; consult report is cleaned up daily; routinely reviews active/pending consults daily; interprets, verifies, and dispositions provider orders. Completes reports; records meeting minutes, scribe with co-signer; monitors appointments for area of responsibility; monitors electronic wait list; monitors and maintains clinic grids with supervision; processes all transfers to other facilities; performs basic eligibility requirements; maintenance of warehouse supplies and clinic forms. Assist with clinic access contingency plans by adjusting appointment times, locations or dates; completes/trains/shares knowledge of data programs such as VETEXT, VAOS, NEAR, Message Manager, Secure Messaging, Right Fax, Audiocare, etc. Requests medical records from Community Care providers and non-VA healthcare institutions; conducts special audits; studies or surveys as requested; collects complete and appropriate data for reporting purposes; organizes and implements quality assurance documents for supervisor; enters and monitors work orders; orders supplies and equipment; and provides coverage for scheduling staff during intermittent shortages. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11:59 PM (ET) on 12/01/2026. 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 to 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). Experience and Education: Experience: None. OR Education: High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education. Licensure/Certification/Registration: None. Foreign Education: To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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: Creditable Experience: 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. 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. 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. In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements, candidates must possess the required specialized experience and be able to demonstrate all Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) as summarized below. GS-5 Grade Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level that equips the candidate with the following: Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients. Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution. 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. 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 perso…

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/.