LEAD MEDICAL SUPPORT ASSISTANT

Summary

Lead Medical Support Assistant for the Outpatient and Community Based Outpatient Clinics Section of the Health Administration Service, Orlando VA Healthcare System.

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Duties

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The Lead Medical Support Assistants (A-MSAs) assigned to VAMC Orlando, to include its Outpatient and Community Based Outpatient Clinics.

Lead Medical Support Assistants are considered chief sources of patient care and patient flow information. The position typically has responsibility for the overall coordination of clinic cancellations, clinic schedules to include appointment scheduling and changes, arrangements for special studies, appointment check ins/check outs, consult tracking, verification of doctor's orders and treatment orders, completeness and accuracy of all actions/documentation, making transportation arrangements for patients, and relaying medical test results to appropriate professional medical staff for immediate action. The Lead MSA explains medical tests and exam instructions to be observed and test preparation procedures to the patient prior to appointment. S/he also: provides any related instructional sheets for special procedures and facilitates patient appointments; assures a medication list is provided to patient at each visit; relays any medication issues to the appropriate clinical staff; and shares other general information, initiating appropriate action as required. The Lead MSA initiates forms for authorization to perform surgery and other procedures, monitors the waiting areas for possible changes of patient conditions, and initiates appropriate measures in emergency situations.

The Lead Medical Support Assistant monitors and makes work assignments, provides input on performance, resolves daily workplace issues and maintains efficient workflow. The Lead: assures coverage of all areas of responsibility; conducts ongoing reviews to ensure quality of work; ensures accurate and timely scheduling of appointments for unit led; provides guidance to staff members to include changes in policies and procedures; distributes and balances workload; creates and maintains employee work schedules; orients and provides on-the-job training for new and current employees; ensures all training requirements are met; organizes the work structure of his/her assigned areas; ensures compliance with the provisions of the AFGE master agreement as it relates to employee conditions of employment; and acts as liaison between MSA and staff in order to resolve day-to-day conflicts.

The Lead MSA is responsible for the oversight of the routine to the most complex duties of the occupation in the unit led, with relative administrative independence, more than 25% of the time, and is called upon to mentor and teach less experienced staff and to assist them with questions they may have regarding the work of the occupation.

Work Schedule : Monday through Friday,7:30 -4:00, (Ward Admin includes rotation weekends and holidays)

Telework : Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 81497F

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.
• 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 dentification 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

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.
• English Language Proficiency . MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.j.
• Experience and Education-Documentation Submitted .
  • 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.
• Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs.

Grade Determinations : In addition to the basic requirements for employment listed in above, the following education and experience criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:

Lead Medical Support Assistant (Advanced), GS-7-SF-50 Submitted

• Experience . One year of experience equivalent to the GS-6 grade level.
• Assignment . The Lead MSA [is responsible for the coordination of Advanced MSA assignments and workflow found in an interdisciplinary unit. The Lead MSA is responsible for daily workload assessments, assigning work, and assuring proper staffing coverage; evaluating training records; and determining training needs of MSAs to provide support across interdisciplinary settings. The Lead assists the unit with complex and non-standard procedures, including clinical flow processes related to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and/or community resources. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: ensuring accurate and timely scheduling of appointments; providing guidance to staff members, to include changes in policies and procedures; creating and maintaining employee work schedules; and acting as a liaison among Advanced MSA staff, patients, and other interdisciplinary staff to resolve day-to-day conflicts.] For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate [all of] the KSAs below:
  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 resources.
  2. Ability to utilize numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics in an interdisciplinary setting.
  3. Ability to organize work, set priorities, and delegate tasks/responsibilities in order to meet deadlines.
  4. Skill in communicating with individuals to obtain the desired effect [and coordinating with a variety of interdisciplinary care team staff
  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.

Preferred Experience: Minimum of one year of Community Care experience

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

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

Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, pulling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.

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

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.

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.

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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