Lead Medical Support Assistant

Summary

The Wilmington VA Medical Center is recruiting for a Lead Medical Support Assistant (MSA). The Lead Medical Support Assistant will function in Care in the Community (CitC). The local VA Community Care department is the 'clinic' that coordinates all patient services for Veterans outside the VA Healthcare System.

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Duties

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VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant:

The Lead MSA assists the supervisor with developing contingency plans for data/input/transmission while also maintaining suspense files necessary for monitoring the processing of consults. Some of the major duties of a Lead Medical Support Assistant include, but are not limited to:

• Monitors daily staffing levels and ensures equal distribution of workload/coverage daily
• Identifying backlogs in workload and potential procedural problems by observation/monitoring of the activities for the AMSA's and brings them to the attention of the supervisor
• Provide weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports within established time frames and report to the supervisor
• Collaborates, communicates, set priorities, and organizes the work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations
• Researching and maintaining an updated data base of community medical services to assist Veterans with locating medical care in the community
• Provide on-the-job training to new employees and assist AMSA's with difficult and more complexed consult problems, providing accurate instructions and workable solutions
• Determines the veteran's eligibility to receive medical services through Non-VA Purchased Care and Contract Hospitalization and reviews and updates procedure manuals semi-annually ensuring all staff has updated information
• Reviewing the work of full performance and developmental AMSA's for accuracy, completeness, using current laws and directives
• Demonstrates advance knowledge of the technical health care process as it relates to access to care
• Assures authorization is obtained from appropriate service chief for procedures performed at non-VA facilities

Work Schedule : Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Telework : Not Available.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 460-05184-F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 ( 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.
• 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.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

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 : None.
• 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.
• English Language Proficiency : Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

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 :

Lead Medical Support Assistant, GS-07

Experience: One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-6).

The Lead MSA is responsible for answering questions for lower graded staff relating to health care services in an inpatient or outpatient setting. The Lead MSA monitors and makes work assignments, provides input on performance, resolves daily workplace issues, and maintains efficient workflow. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: assuring coverage of all areas of responsibility; conducting ongoing reviews to ensure quality of work; ensuring accurate and timely scheduling of appointments; providing guidance to staff members, to include changes in policies and procedures; distributing and balancing workload; creating and maintaining employee work schedules; orienting and providing on-the-job training for new and current employees; ensuring all training requirements are met; organizing the work structure of his/her assigned areas; and acting as a liaison between MSA and staff to resolve day to day conflicts

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to meeting the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

1. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology and a wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and/or community.
2. Skill in communicating with individuals to obtain the desired effect and coordinating with a variety of interdisciplinary care team staff.
3. Ability to utilize numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics in an interdisciplinary setting.
4. Ability to organize work, set priorities, and delegate tasks/responsibilities in order to meet deadlines.
5. Ability to provide staff development and training.
6. Ability to manage staffing requirements, manage workflow priorities, and adjust the flow of work to meet team and patient needs. This includes the ability to follow-up on pending issues and demonstrate an understanding of the impact of incomplete work across multiple clinics.

Assignment: For all Lead assignments the Lead MSA must spend at least 25% or more of their time performing lead duties.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7.

Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required. The ability to deal effectively with organizational change, role ambiguity and the stresses of juggling many priorities and rapidly responding to unanticipated critical situations is essential.

Education

Documentation Requirements for Proof of High School Completion or higher

If using post-high school education to substitute for experience at the GS-4 or GS-5, you must submit a copy of your unofficial or official transcript with your application.

If selected, to meet the basic requirement of high school education or equivalent and prior to a firm offer being extended, applicants must provide one of the following as verification of the education requirement if not covered under the grandfathering provision:

• Copy of high school diploma OR high school transcript (unofficial or official) OR GED certificate OR homeschooling completion OR proficiency certificate issued by a State or Territorial Board or Department of Education OR college transcript (official)

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: 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:

Additional information

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.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

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.

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.

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