Lead Medical Support Assistant

Summary

The Lead Medical Support Assistant (Lead MSA) works under the Department of Rehabilitation Service at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The Lead MSA will serve as an administrative support and coordinator for all sections under Rehabilitation which includes Audiology, Speech Pathology, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service.

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Duties

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VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant:

The Lead Medical Support Assistant (LMSA) will perform a wide variety of administrative tasks associated with maintaining and supporting the work performed within Rehabilitation Service. LMSA will monitor productivity, work assignments, provide input on performance, resolves daily workplace issues, and oversee and implement processes that support efficient and effective workflow, and effectively support the needs of the clinic.

Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: assuring coverage of all areas responsibility; conducting ongoing reviews to ensure quality of work; ensuring accurate and timely scheduling of appointments; providing guidance to Advanced MSAs and MSA contractors to include changes in policies and procedures; distributing and balancing workload; creating and maintaining Advanced MSAs and MSA contractors schedules; advising on employee training modules, orienting and providing on-the-job training for new and current Advanced MSAs and MSA contractors; ensuring all training requirements are met; organizing the work structure; acting as liaison between Advanced MSAs, MSA contractors, and other SFVAHCS staff in order to resolve day to day conflicts.

The LMSA will interface will personal computer (PC) applications as well as numerous other programs including VISTA, CPRS, VSE Gui, IC, My HealtheVet, APAT, FSOD, and NON-VA Care Portals. LMSA will also serve as a key manager of the CISCO supervisor Desk Top phone system including the alignment of staff to the system, the day-to-day monitoring of the operational support of phone lines and the running of monthly reports to identify trends and opportunities for improvements in patient call-in support. In addition, the LMSA shall serve as the primary TMS Administrator for the admin staff, PIV sponsor, Pin-code reset administrator, timekeeper, and ADPAC.

The LMSA is responsible for all scheduling workflows, to include the consult management and key metrics, Recall, Electronic Wait List maintenance, return to clinic orders (RTC), veteran appointment online scheduling (VAOS), veteran appointment request (VAR), VeText; clinic profile management (i.e. LEAF request for clinic set-up, grid changes, cancel/block/restore clinics and monitoring); ensuring insurance capture (ICB), updating patient information (i.e. next of kin, address phone number, etc.); encounter data validation; recall reminders; consult management; patient notification of appointments.

The LMSA routinely analyzes data from reports such as Consult Management Dashboard, EWL, Delinquent Recall, ICB Usage, 90-Day warning and any other reports used to prepare teams for patient appointment and communicates scheduling issues to Supervisor. The LMSA manages the Encounter Actions Required Report (EARR) for the rehab service and trains/mentors clinicians in accurate completion of encounters.

The LMSA provides administrative/program support work to the AO and BM such as program or office planning/space allocation, computer resources, evaluation of administrative programs or issues, correspondence control, liaison, special projects, or committee-related work. Attends Rehabilitation Staff meetings and other Medical Center Meetings as directed. Incumbent performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule : Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm or as determined by supervisor

Telework : Not available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 662-10277-F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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

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.

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.

Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-6 grade level.

Grandfathering Provision. All MSAs employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, which are a part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:

(1) Such employees may be reassigned, promoted, or changed to a lower grade within the occupation.

(2) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.

(3) If an employee who was converted to Title 38 Hybrid status under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

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 : One year of experience equivalent to the GS-6 grade level.

Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below :

i. 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.

ii. Ability to utilize numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics in an interdisciplinary setting.

iii. Ability to organize work, set priorities, and delegate tasks/responsibilities in order to meet deadlines.

iv. Skill in communicating with individuals to obtain the desired effect and coordinating with a variety of interdisciplinary care team staff.

v. Ability to provide staff development and training.

vi. 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: Must have knowledge of scheduling SOPs and processes in all sections of Rehabilitation Services (Audiology & Speech Pathology, Blind Rehabilitation, Physical Therapy & Occupational Therapy, and Prosthetics and Sensory Aids) and have the ability to provide coverage and support.

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-07.

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to perform portions of the work. However, there is a periodic walking, standing, bending, and lifting. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

Education

There is no education substitution at this grade level.

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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