Lead Medical Support Assistant

Summary

The Lead Medical Support Assistant (MSA) is responsible for planning and directing clerical operations for the MSA staff, assigning, and evaluating work, resolving complex problems to ensure patient services are met; identifying educational/training needs, evaluates tools such as equipment and systems that will enhance the ability of the Community Care department to assist Veterans.

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Duties

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VA Careers - Lead Medical Support Assistant:

• Completed assignments are evaluated for technical soundness, usefulness, and conformance with VA requirements.
• Establishes guidelines, specific performance measures, and general expectations for supervised staff which are clearly communicated through the formal employee management system.
• Exercises responsibility involving work and staffing assignments and review and reassignment of such.
• Provides on-going education for the MSAs that fall under his/her supervision as updates to processes occur.
• Monitors the administrative function of the Community Care department including, appointment management, phone logs, authorization process and consult management.
• Demonstrates and conducts work performance critiques and analyzes daily workload; provides both informal feedback for formal evaluation of employee performance and competency.
• Resolves informal complaints and grievances.
• Develops Performance Improvement Plans (PIP) and recommend personnel actions when needed.
• Advises staff on work and administrative matters.
• Ensures AMSAs and MSAs receive training and comply with safety regulations.
• Monitors work processes to maintain effectiveness and adherence to Service Line (SL) requirements.
• Tracks and report on processing quality and customer service within the SL.
• Implements plans to maintain high-quality clerical services and address deficiencies.
• Makes adjustments to clarify technical requirements as needed.
• Provides advice and counsel to staff related to work and administrative matters.
• Monitors daily staffing levels and ensures equal distribution of workload/coverage on a daily basis.
• Resolves recurring clerical or technical tasks following standard operating procedures developed for the department.
• Provides additional, specific guidance and reference sources on new or difficult assignments.
• Collaborate and communicate effectively with healthcare professionals to ensure quality and continuity of care, and compliance with policies and regulations.
• Demonstrate strong customer service and interpersonal skills.
• Conduct briefings, orientations, staff development, and training.
• Delegate authority, evaluate staff and programs, accomplish program goals, and adapt to changing priorities.
• Motivate, develop, and direct subordinates.
• Collect and interpret clinic utilization data, including Consult Toolbox usage, consult processing following Field Guidebook and consult volume.
• Serve as a facility and patient educator and advocate for Veterans regarding coordination of approved community care authorizations.
• Educates providers and team members about Veterans' medical care using email, fax, phone, and by scanning documents into electronic medical records.
• Maintains electronic databases to track Community Care service consults.
• Ensures that finished work and methods used by MSA's are technically accurate and in compliance with established instructions, methods, procedures, and deadlines.
• Demonstrates advanced knowledge of the technical health care process as it relates to community care.
• Assists with contacting Veterans by telephone and My HealtheVet to explain pending or new consult request, ensures that Veteran appointments are made with other VA facilities, contract sites, or community providers of Veteran's choice as appropriate.
• Communicates with all community providers
• Utilizes automated tracking tools and computers for recordkeeping, correspondence, and tracking operations.
• Performs accurate data entry to update and correct information in various databases and records.
• Assists Veterans, beneficiaries, personal representatives, and healthcare personnel with entitlements and guidelines for VA-authorized treatment at VA expense or at other facilities.
• Ensures proper authorization and correspondence is sent to vendors and Veterans.
• Consistently communicates with all internal and external customers in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner.
• Maintains effective communication among patients, interdisciplinary teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies.
• Supports discharge communications and coordinates with non-VA medical facilities as needed.
• Develops and manages tracking systems for follow-up care, such as consults and tests.
• Participates in team huddles and meetings to manage and plan patient care.
• Sets priorities and deadlines, adjusting workflow to meet team and patient needs.

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

Compressed/Flexible :Not Authorized

Telework : Ad-hoc

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : 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.
• 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

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 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, (2) 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.
• 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).

• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
• 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.

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

Lead Medical Support Assistant, GS-7

• 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:
  • 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.

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

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

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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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.