Medical Support Assistant
Veterans Health Administration · Department of Veterans Affairs
This job in plain English
The James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center in Altoona, Pennsylvania, is hiring a Medical Support Assistant for the Veterans Health Administration. The job supports doctors, nurses, and other staff who care for patients, mainly through scheduling, phone work, and records. There is 1 vacancy across six Pennsylvania locations, it is full-time, and it does not allow telework.
Can you apply?
Yes, if you are a U.S. citizen: this job is open to everyone.
- Open to everyoneAny U.S. citizen or national can apply. Some jobs also accept non-citizens; the announcement says so.
- Federal employees (competitive service)Current or former federal employees with competitive status (career or career-conditional).
- Agency employees onlyOnly current employees of the hiring agency.
- Federal employees (excepted service)Current federal employees in the excepted service; the announcement says which agencies count.
Other groups listed above may get extra consideration, for example veterans' preference.
The conditions of employment say you must be a U.S. citizen to apply. The announcement is also open to current permanent VA employees and current permanent federal employees of other agencies.
What you would do
- Schedule routine and specialized patient appointments within the unit and across the health system.
- Admit and discharge patients, arrange travel, and forward medication and work orders.
- Maintain electronic medical charts and enter data.
- Verify and update patient contact, insurance, and caregiver information.
- Route calls, messages, and correspondence to the right clinical staff quickly.
- Coordinate consultations and referrals to specialty services inside and outside the facility.
Do you qualify for GS-3 to GS-5?
With experience: One year of experience at the next lower grade level qualifies you for GS-4 and GS-5. For GS-5, the experience should include scheduling or canceling patient appointments, referring patients to specialty clinics, reviewing health records, or verifying insurance. GS-3 needs no extra experience or education.
With education: A high school diploma or equivalent is required. One year of education above high school can qualify you for GS-4. Two years of education above high school can qualify you for GS-5. Only degrees and coursework from accredited schools count.
How to apply well
What to send:
- Long-form resume or CV showing dates, hours per week, and duties
- Cover letter, if applicable
- Transcript, if you use education to qualify
- DD-214 or Statement of Service, if you claim veterans' preference
- SF-50, if you are a current or former federal employee
- VA disability letter, if applicable
How you will be rated: You are rated on how well you meet the qualifications, using your application, questionnaire answers, and online USA Hire assessments. Competencies include customer service, teamwork, reading comprehension, and reasoning. Missing required information can lower your rating or make you ineligible.
Tips for this job:
- Use a long-form resume or CV that clearly shows dates, hours per week, and duties for each job.
- Set aside at least 3 hours for the required USA Hire online assessment and finish it on time.
- If you use education to qualify, attach a transcript from an accredited school.
Good to know before you apply
Schedule: Full-time, 8:00am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday, but hours may vary and will be discussed during interviews.
Incentives and relocation: Relocation and recruitment incentives are not authorized.
Conditions of employment:
- U.S. citizenship required
- Online assessment required
- Selective Service registration for males born after 12/31/1959
- Proficiency in written and spoken English
- Background and security investigation
- Online onboarding and acceptable identification; REAL ID required
- Seasonal influenza vaccination required, or an approved exemption
- 1 or 2-year trial period
- Mostly sedentary office work; may lift light loads such as files
We wrote this summary automatically from the official announcement. The announcement on USAJOBS is the only one that counts: read it before you apply.
Job details
- Salary
- $38,290 – $55,947 per year
- Pay scale and grade
- GS-3 to GS-5 · General Schedule
- Locations
-
- State College, Pennsylvania
- Huntingdon, Pennsylvania
- Johnstown, Pennsylvania
- Indiana, Pennsylvania
- Du Bois, Pennsylvania
- Altoona, Pennsylvania
- Appointment
- Permanent
- Work schedule
- Full-time
- Service
- Excepted
- Openings
- 1
- Security clearance
- Not Required
- Travel
- Not required
- Drug test
- Not required
- Supervisory
- No
- Occupation
- Medical Support Assistance (0679)
- Announcement
- CBSZ-13103478-27-MH
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