Medical Support Assistant

Veterans Health Administration • Milwaukee, WI

1d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is located in the Enrollment, Eligibility, and Intake Department at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Medical Support Assistant provides advisory and technical assistance to patients and beneficiaries seeking medical treatment, information, or guidance from the Medical Center. The position is in the Excepted Service and has a full performance level of GS-5; applicants may be selected at GS-3 through GS-5. The work is primarily sedentary in a typical office setting. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; compressed or flexible scheduling and telework are not available, and the position is not virtual. A one- or two-year trial period applies. Continued employment after the trial period requires written certification that it advances the public interest.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for appointments when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English.
• High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or state or territorial proficiency certificate.
• GS-3: No experience or education beyond the basic requirements.
• GS-4: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade, or one year of education above high school, and demonstration of the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• GS-4 knowledge, skills, and abilities: courteous communication with people from varying backgrounds and health care team members; use of office automation equipment and software; basic medical terminology; and recording patient messages and understanding physician requests about follow-up care.
• GS-5: One year of experience equivalent to GS-4, or two years of education above high school, and demonstration of the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• GS-5 knowledge, skills, and abilities: operating computerized systems to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient-identifying information; advanced medical terminology; scheduling medical appointments in a clinical setting; working independently on varied patient-support duties; professional communication in person, electronically, and by telephone; and customer service skills, including identifying concerns and referring them to appropriate staff.
• U.S. citizenship, Selective Service registration for males born after December 31, 1959, and successful completion of required background/security investigation and onboarding.
• Participation in the VA seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for Health Care Personnel.
• Complete all application requirements described in the announcement’s Required Documents section.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period.
• Education used to qualify must be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and from an accredited institution; foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency and transcript.

Responsibilities

• Greet Veterans arriving at the Intake Unit and direct them appropriately.
• Answer questions within established guidelines and refer complex matters to a higher-graded Medical Support Assistant.
• Collect basic demographic information and perform initial data entry into VA systems.
• Assist with gathering documents required for eligibility and enrollment processing.
• Support higher-graded staff with routine administrative tasks related to demographic and insurance updates.
• Learn procedures for processing transfers, eligibility checks, and financial assessments; assist with these tasks but do not perform them independently.
• Escalate complex eligibility, entitlement, or regulatory questions to a GS-4, GS-5, or Supervisory Medical Support Assistant.
• Maintain confidentiality and follow established security and administrative procedures.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package for employees and their families; specific benefit eligibility depends on position type.
• Possible credit toward annual leave accrual for prior federal employment or military service, subject to request and approval before appointment and not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED