Program Support Assistant Jobs in Bloomfield, NJ

Summary
This is an open continuous announcement until December 31st, 2026. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available.
The VA NJ Healthcare System has multiple intermittent vacancies for a Medical Support Assistant position with the Community Care unit at the East Orange & Lyons VAMC.
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Duties
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The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) is a staff position located under the Medical Administrative Services (MAS) at VA NJ Health Care System
(VA NJHCS). The VA NJHCS is an integrated level of two (comprehensive healthcare) facilities: East Orange & Lyons, and ten Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) located throughout the State.
Duties include but are not limited to: The MSA required duties include receiving, admitting, scheduling, & providing assistance & direction to Veterans seeking medical care. The MSA also functions as a fully qualified typist & possesses excellent communication skills.

• Assures all practice areas are adequately covered, the assigned workload is accomplished within the time frame allotted by setting priorities and meeting deadlines, adjusting the flow, and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs and ensures that each patient is courteously served.
• Participates in and independently follows up on team huddles by sharing information and collaborating with the medical team to assure continuity of care; evaluating patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether the patient is vested; educating providers about shared patients (those who receive their care at multiple i/A's or those who have care in the community) and bringing it to the attention of the provider.
• The incumbent demonstrates performance and leadership that is broad enough to improve the care of a group of patients.
• Works collaboratively with community care clinical team to ensure the completion of all steps necessary for timely access to care in community for approval care.
• The incumbent will be responsible for coordinating care and communicating with the Third-Party Administrator (TPA-Optum) during the entire process from beginning to end.
• The incumbent will be responsible in ensuring that documents related to the Veterans care from the community are scanned into CPRS in a timely manner.
• The incumbent is responsible for the following: monitoring, trending, and analyzing data, interpreting VA handbooks and directives regarding access/performance improvement/ patient flow issues; collaborates with the facility Access
• Coordinator; monitors progress of reviews and follow up on action items to ensure completion in a timely manner.
• Core elements of performance include knowledge and active participation in unit/program level quality improvement processes and initiatives as well as customer service programs.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 4 hour tours may vary depending on the needs of the service.
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
Telework: Ad-Hoc
Functional Statement #: 24924F
Requirements
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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 identification 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 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.
Qualifications
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.
• Licensure/Certification/Registration. None
• Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

Grade Level
GS-3
Experience or Education: None beyond the basic requirements.
GS-4
Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.
OR
Education. One year of education above high school.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.
i. 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.
ii. 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.
iii. Knowledge of basic medical terminology to assist in the provision of care to patients.
iv. Skill in recording patient messages and understanding physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care in internal or external clinics.
GS-5
Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.
OR
Education. Two years of education above high school.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
i. Ability to operate computerized programs and systems in order to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient identifying information (PII) into or from electronic health records, scheduling systems, and/or reports.
ii. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients.
iii. Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting.
iv. Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work.
v. Ability to communicate effectively and professionally [in person, electronically, and/or by telephone, with internal and external customers.
vi. Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution.
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 5. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to GS-5.
Education
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/.
Additional information
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.
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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.
Benefits
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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.
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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.