Medical Support Assistant - rehabilitation & Extended Care

Medical Support Assistant-Rehabilitation & Extended Care

This position is in the Rehabilitation & Extended Care Service (REC) Line at the St. Cloud VA Health Care System and is the first administrative point-of-contact for patients and family members. The MSA position involves technical work concerned with the day-to-day administrative functions within the Rehabilitation Department. The position provides administrative support to clinic staff members and patients.

Help Accepting applications Open & closing dates 04/14/2026 to 04/22/2026

Salary $40,274 - $65,755 per year

Location 1 vacancy in the following location: Saint Cloud, MN 1 vacancy

Promotion potential 5 Job family (Series) 0679 Medical Support Assistance

Supervisory status No

Security clearance Not Required

Drug test No

Position sensitivity and risk Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process Credentialing Suitability/Fitness

Financial disclosure No

Bargaining unit status Yes

Announcement number CBSY-12935168-26-GPA

Control number 865116500

This job is open to Internal to an agency Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.

This is an INTERNAL ANNOUNCEMENT and is limited to current permanent employees of the St. Cloud VA Health Care System to include CBOC's and current permanent VA Nationwide employees. The public and employees of other Federal agencies should apply to announcement number CBSY-12935169-26-GPA.

Specific Functions: The incumbent uses VistA and CPRS computer system daily, including the keyboard and printer. The incumbent answers questions and provides information and daily activities include the following: Working directly with patients who have been instructed to request a new appointment to schedule and provides patient instructions on test preparation, diets and procedural requirements. Seeking out available appointments with multiple staff members and services to coordinate Telehealth appointments. Programs the VistA printer to generate notices to outpatients concerning failed and rescheduled appointments. Reviews output to ensure that appropriate information is generated and ensures that inappropriate letters are discarded. Utilizes and follows up on AudioCare Reminder calls. Produces and distributes daily schedules to professional staff. Pre-registration as needed with checking patients in for appointments. Receives, interviews, and routes individuals for either inpatient or outpatient care to the appropriate care team or setting. Maintains daily contact with professional services personnel giving outpatient/inpatient care to ensure the best possible liaison between patient and health care system personnel. Accepts telephone calls from Veterans, relatives, service officers, etc. regarding outpatient/inpatient treatment and transportation. Receives and responds to unclear inquiries concerning a variety of medical, personnel, and administrative matters. Determines general nature of inquiry and independently responds to all administrative questions. Recognizes and refers urgent inquiries to professional staff for immediate action. Reviews medical records of outpatients/inpatients to ensure that requested appointments are made for the professional staff and diagnostic services. Schedules and receives consults based on established scheduling policies and procedures from VHA directive for outpatient clinic scheduling. Utilizes Appointment Management Supervisor Menu to accurately and appropriately to facilitate efficient scheduling of appointments. Updates, review, and utilize the Unable to Schedule list to accurately reflect patients waiting to schedule an appointment. Processes all health care providers orders accurately. Seeks clarification of orders when appropriate. Promptly and accurately initiates and checks on status of referrals, lab and x-ray procedures, completing required forms with appropriate patient identification. Makes numerous calls each day to coordinate information and actions relating to patient care and services. Relays information and requests from the patients to the treatment team and within the treatment team. Ensures that escort services and transportation are properly arranged. Pages and locates clinic staff for patient services and consultation. Accurately and timely performs clerical work in support of the care and treatment given to patients such as receiving patients or maintaining patient files. Performs clerical level work to procure supplies and services to meet the procurement requirements of the unit or department. Processes incoming and outgoing materials such as correspondence, reports, memoranda, and other forms of written communication. Performs the following types of duties: edit letters, composes letters and reports, reviews correspondence for accuracy and completeness, transcribes meeting minutes and replies to inquiries. Actively seeks and schedules Telehealth services for appropriate and active Telehealth services. Assists in mentoring students or training new or less experienced employees.

Conditions of employment 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 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.

Basic Requirements Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). 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. Certification None required. Grandfathering Provision. All MSAs employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, which are a part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:(1) Such employees may be reassigned, promoted, or changed to a lower grade within the occupation.(2) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.(3) If an employee who was converted to Title 38 hybrid status under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation 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. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.

Grade Determinations GS-3 MSA (Entry Level) 1. Experience or Education None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-4 MSA (Developmental Level) 1. Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade. OR 2. Education: One year of education above high school. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to Basic Requirements and the experience listed above, candidates must be able to demonstrate all of the KSAs below: 1. Ability to meet, communicate, and interact with individuals from varying backgrounds and other health care team members in a courteous and helpful manner in order to facilitate medical care for patients. 2. Ability to use, and navigate between, various types of office automation equipment and software (i.e. computer systems, web based scheduling programs; insurance collection system; scanning software, multiple line phone systems; electronic faxing programs) to support patient care. 3. Knowledge of basic medical terminology to assist in the provision of care to patients. 4. Skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care in internal or