Medical Support Assistant (Advanced)-Care in the Community

Medical Support Assistant (Advanced) - Care in the Community The Veterans Health Administration is seeking Advanced Medical Support Assistants for Care in the Community at the VA Black Hills Health Care System. This position provides specialized clerical and administrative patient support for Veterans receiving care through community referral processing. The role supports scheduling, referral coordination, communication with Veterans and community vendors, consult tracking, and coordination with interdisciplinary care teams. Location: Fort Meade, SD or Hot Springs, SD Vacancies: 3 Salary: $47,903 - $62,274 per year Pay Scale & Grade: GS-6 Promotion Potential: None Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm Appointment Type: Permanent Telework: Not generally available; ad-hoc only at supervisor discretion Remote/Virtual: Not available Travel Required: Not required Recruitment Incentive: Not authorized Relocation Assistance: Not authorized Drug Test: Not required Security Clearance: Other Position Sensitivity/Risk: Non-sensitive / Low Risk Key Responsibilities: Provide specialized and expert administrative patient support within an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. Support Veterans receiving referred and scheduled care through community providers. Coordinate appointments with community vendors using guidance from the Veteran's care team. Ensure appointments are scheduled accurately, efficiently, and within clinical timeframes requested by providers. Use advanced patient systems involved in interdisciplinary care delivery and Care in the Community operations. Communicate with Veterans, Veteran representatives, interdisciplinary care teams, VA medical centers, and non-VA medical facilities. Coordinate community care appointments and additional requests for care with non-VA facilities. Administratively triage phone calls related to community care requests. Assist care teams with understanding community care eligibility, including Mission Act of 2018 requirements. Assist Care in the Community nursing staff with referral coordination. Follow up with community vendors to confirm appointment completion and obtain medical records. Process incoming Veteran messages through Message Manager and care requests through My HealtheVet. Participate in team huddles and meetings to manage, plan, problem-solve, and follow up on patient care. Enter appropriate information into the electronic medical record. Verify and validate patient system information and resolve issues. Evaluate and triage scheduling based on clinician recommendations and referral urgency. Schedule, reschedule, and monitor patient consults in accordance with Community Care processes and directives. Schedule a full range of medical care, including outpatient appointments, procedures, inpatient surgery, home care, lab tests, and imaging across specialties. Communicate pre-appointment requirements, instructions, and appointment details to Veterans or their point of contact. Notify PACT providers or nurses when instructions require clinical review. Identify and communicate Veteran concerns or needs related to upcoming Community Care appointments. Conduct follow-up calls when Veterans miss appointments and assist with rescheduling as needed. Basic Qualifications: Must be a U.S. Citizen. Non-citizens may only be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Must be subject to a background/security investigation. Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959. Must complete all application requirements and online onboarding requirements. Must provide acceptable identification for employment eligibility verification. Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as required for Department of Veterans Affairs health care personnel. Selected applicant may be required to serve a one-year or two-year trial period. Must have a high school diploma, GED, proficiency certificate, or equivalent qualifying education. No licensure, certification, or registration is required. GS-6 Advanced Medical Support Assistant Qualifications: Must have one year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. Experience must demonstrate advanced knowledge of medical terminology sufficient to understand medical diagnoses and procedures and communicate clinical staff instructions to patients. Must demonstrate customer service skills and the ability to identify customer concerns and refer issues to appropriate staff. Must be able to use computerized programs and systems to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient-identifying information. Must be able to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting. Must be able to work independently while performing a wide variety of patient support duties. Must communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and by telephone with internal and external customers. Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Advanced knowledge of technical health care processes, including scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and Care in the Community models. Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures affecting patient flow, outside patient referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, provider availability, and administrative patient support functions. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical language used by clinicians. Ability to collaborate and communicate with medical clinicians across multiple disciplines, including physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, clinical pharmacists, and nursing staff. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines while complying with established processes, policies, and regulations. Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively by phone, in person, electronically, and in writing with internal and external customers. Ability to prepare reports in various formats, present data to organizational levels, and resolve patient concerns. Education: A high school diploma, GED certificate, proficiency certificate, or equivalent qualifying education is required. Transcripts are required if using education to meet any qualification requirements. Physical Requirements: Selected applicant must participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed during the evaluation or examination. Required Documents: Resume Standard Clinical Resume Document uploaded into the restricted resume field Full resume or CV may be uploaded separately into the other document upload field High school diploma, GED, transcript, or equivalent documentation may be required SF-50 / Notification of Personnel Action, if applicable Veterans' preference documentation, if applicable Transcript, if using education to qualify Other supporting documentation, if applicable Benefits: Competitive salary with regular salary increases. 37 to 50 days of paid time off per year, including annual leave, sick leave, and federal holidays. Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment. Potential child care subsidy for eligible full-time employees after 60 days of employment. Federal retirement benefits, including a traditional pension and 401(k)-style savings plan with up to 5% VA contributions. Federal health, dental, vision, term life, and long-term care insurance options. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work experience or military service, subject to approval. Application Deadline: September 18, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET This is an open continuous announcement and qualified candidates may be referred every one to two weeks or as additional vacancies occur until the position is filled. This position is open to current permanent Department of Veterans Affairs employees, current permanent federal employees of other agencies, and all U.S. Citizens. Applicants must submit a complete application package through USAJOBS by the closing date.5c143e31-5e48-4549-b2d185386