The Advanced Medical Support Assistant assigned to the Mobile Medical Unit provides high level administrative and patient support services that directly impact access to care for Veterans residing in rural and underserved communities. The incumbent ensures accurate appointment coordination, patient flow management, communication and administrative functions that enable the MMU clinical team to deliver timely and high-quality healthcare services. The role requires advanced customer service skills, independent decision making, and a comprehensive understanding of VA regulations, scheduling protocols, eligibility requirements, requiring adaptability, reliability, and a commitment to excellent patient service.
The incumbent serves as the primary administrative support for the Mobile Medical Unit (MMU), acting as the first point of contact for patients, families, and staff. This position is responsible for a wide range of frontline duties, including scheduling appointments, managing patient flow, educating patients on clinic processes, and ensuring accurate documentation and compliance with privacy regulations. The incumbent coordinates administrative activities that facilitate efficient, patient-centered care and supports seamless transitions across clinic locations. Additionally, the role promotes organizational values, maintains high professional standards, and ensures operational continuity during MMU downtime or at alternate duty sites. Through strong communication, attention to detail, and collaboration with interdisciplinary teams, the incumbent contributes directly to the delivery and improvement of healthcare services for Veterans.
- Serves as the primary point of contact for patients, families, and staff, providing clear, courteous, and professional assistance in person, by phone, and through electronic communication platforms.
- Triages incoming inquiries to determine urgency, gathers required information, and ensures appropriate routing or resolution in accordance with established policies and service standards.
- Schedules, cancels, and reschedules patient appointments using established scheduling protocols, ensuring accuracy of clinic availability, patient demographics, and insurance information.
- Educates patients on clinic processes, required documentation, appointment preparation, follow-up steps, and available support services, adjusting communication style to meet the needs of diverse populations.
- Resolves routine service issues independently and escalates complex concerns to supervisors or clinical staff when appropriate, ensuring timely and thorough follow-through.
- Completes check-in/check-out procedures, and ensures a welcoming, respectful environment for all visitors.
- Documents customer interactions and service outcomes accurately in electronic systems to support continuity of care and organizational performance monitoring.
- Ensures compliance with privacy laws and confidentiality standards when handling patient information, questions, and documentation.
- Prepares patients for their visits by ensuring required documentation, forms, and pre-visit information are complete and ready for the care team.
- Supports care delivery before, during, and after encounters by coordinating administrative activities that facilitate smooth and timely patient care.
- Monitors telehealth and on-site appointment requirements, ensuring patients meet necessary criteria for successful visit completion.
Work Schedule: Monday to Thursday 7:00am to 5:30
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
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 Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 55984-F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional
- 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 possess a valid, unrestricted State driver's license, have a safe driving record, and demonstrate that they are medically qualified to operate the appropriate motor vehicle safely.
- 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.
Basic Requirements:
- United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
- Experience. No experience required.
- 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
May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).
Grade Determinations: Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-6
Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.
Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
(a) Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process (including, but not limited to, scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care
delivery and/or care in the community models and patient health care portals) as it relates to access to care.
(b) Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community operational activities that affect patient flow, and patient support care administrative functions to include, but not limited to appointment cycles, outside patient referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, provider availability, etc.
(c) Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians.
(d) Ability to collaborate and communicate with a wide range of medical clinicians across multiple disciplines (e.g., medical doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, clinical pharmacists, and nursing staff) to accomplish team goal setting to ensure medical care to patients is met.
(e) Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
(f) Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing, with internal and external customers.
This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels, as well as resolving patient
concerns.
Assignment: At the advanced level, the Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) (AMSA) performs difficult and responsible specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. Work involves specialized administrative judgment and the flexible use of a wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and/or care in the community resources. Recommend changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines. Expertise in utilizing numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics involved in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. Coordinates with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability (utilization) to ensure that clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics, and makes adjustments as necessary.
Preferred Experience:
- 1 year experience working in a clinical environment.
- 1 year experience scheduling patients in a medical appointment software.
- 1 year experience managing patient communications (e.g., telephone and/or communication programs).
- 1 year experience with documenting appropriate information into an electronic medical record programs/databases.
- 1 year of administrative/phone customer service skills, in de-escalation, problem solving, decision making, and strong tactful communication skills orally and in writing.
- Ability to provide active listening skills and multitask.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-06.
Physical Requirements: The work of the Advanced Medical Support Assistant (AMSA) assigned to the Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) is primarily sedentary; however, the position requires enough physical capacity to support mobile clinic operations across multiple deployment sites. The incumbent must be able to perform light-to-heavy lifting, including carrying materials and equipment weighing up to 45 pounds, as well as lighter loads under 15 pounds. The role requires periods of walking and standing, along with intermittent pushing, kneeling, bending, climbing, and reaching above shoulder level as needed during MMU setup, patient flow coordination, and movement of supplies. The AMSA must have the manual dexterity necessary for keyboarding, documentation, and handling office and telehealth equipment, along with the ability to maintain rapid mental and muscular coordination during high-volume administrative tasks. Adequate near and far vision (correctable), depth perception, basic color distinction, and sufficient hearing (with hearing aid permitted) are required to perform duties safely and effectively.
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/.
High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education-Failure to do so may result in ineligible rating.
There is no educational substitution at the GS-6 grade level.
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.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
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.
Note: 38 U.S.C. 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans preference to external applicants for appointments made from this announcement.
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.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
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
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DD-214/ Statement of Service
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Disability Letter (VA)
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License
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Other (1)
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PCS Orders
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Performance Appraisal
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Professional Certification
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Proof of Marriage Status
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Resume
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Separation Notice (RIF)
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SF-15
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SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
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Transcript
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
