LEAD MEDICAL SUPPORT ASSISTANT

Summary

The position is located in Community Care at the Philadelphia Dow location at 100 S Independence Mall West Philadelphia, PA 19106. The Lead AMSA comes under the direct supervision of the Community Care MSA Supervisor and Serves as a member of the integrated administrative and clinical team within the local Community Care department, as outlined by the Office of Community Care Operating Model.

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Duties

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VA Careers -

Medical Support Assistant: Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Major Duties include but are not limited to:

• The incumbent provides a variety of complex and unique duties in the support of the Community Care setting. The Lead MSA may participate in daily huddles for Care in the Community (CITC) Consult Management to assist with patient case management.
• 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 (OTJ) training for new and current employees
• Ensuring all training requirements are met
• Organizing the work structure of his/her assigned areas
• Acting as liaison between MSA and staff in order to resolve day to day conflicts
• Responsible for conducting daily/weekly/monthly reviews to ensure the quality of work within the assigned region/service area, reviews include all areas related to VHA scheduling policy and other Community Care functions
• Conduct reviews to ensure all MSAs complete all assigned functions following established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the department, including, but not limited to the Consult Management Teams of Pending/Scheduling, RefDoc, and Records
• Ensure that VHA Scheduling directives are being followed and utilized
• Ensure that MSAs are utilizing various software in their consult management processes, including CTM, VSE, PPMS, and HSRM
• Responsible for ensuring that any necessary documentation that the RN includes on the CC Coordination note including health summaries, medication lists, progress notes etc. are prepared and sent to the community providers and patients
• Ensures that community care records are requested timely and recorded
• Responsible for troubleshooting billing issues, including responding to provider offices to review proper billing processes and responding to requests for authorization numbers
• Collaborate with the Health Administration Service Training Technicians on the review of weekly scheduling audits and ensure quality scheduling practices are being performed with the assigned area
• Conduct reviews of the use of the Consult Toolbox (CTB) to ensure the proper documentation is being utilized
• Conduct routine reviews of administrative documentation of the referral coordination team (RCT).
• Conduct reviews to ensure patients are eligible for care at the time of scheduling, utilizing the mandatory procedures and processes of Consult Management to ensure compliance with the VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act of 2018.
• Conduct other reviews related to scheduling and Community Care functions, as necessary.
• Assures the promotion, registration of MyHealtheVet, as well as follows up on inquiries from the Veteran Experience Officer and Pats-R requests.
• Ensure that MSAs follow up with Message Manager inquiries from the Call Center, as well as BeneTravel and ROI inquiries.
• Conduct reviews to ensure the proper procedure is followed in regard to outside medical records (sent to the proper department for scanning).

Work Schedule : 8:00am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday

Telework : Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

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.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• 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.
• 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.

Qualifications

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 and Education
  • Experience. Six months experience of clerical, office, customer service, or other administrative work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position; OR ,
  • Education. One year above high school; OR ,
  • Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.
  • English Language Proficiency. Must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.j.

??????? Certification . None required

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-7

In addition to the basic requirements, you must meet the specialized experience for the grade. Lead Medical Support Assistant, GS-7

Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-6 grade level. Examples of specialized experience include: Recommends changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines; expertise in utilizing numerous advanced patient systems; coordinates with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability; develop and/or maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies; processes incoming patient secure messaging through MyHealthyVet and coordinates with care team as appropriate; setting priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs; identifies incomplete encounters and communicates findings to providers; enters appropriate information into the electronic record; monitors pre-appointment information and/or requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure; manages patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues; evaluates patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether the patient requires an immediate appointment; and informs team members about shared patients.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities . Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:

• 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 resources.
• Ability to utilize numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics in an interdisciplinary setting.
• Ability to organize work, set priorities, and delegate tasks/responsibilities in order to meet deadlines.
• Skill in communicating with individuals to obtain the desired effect [and coordinating with a variety of interdisciplinary care team staff].
• Ability to provide staff development and training.
• 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.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service

****All required documentation must be uploaded before the announcement closes, to support eligibility.

****Failure to submit documentation will constitute the application being categorized as incomplete and therefore ineligible for referral.

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: 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

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.

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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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.