Supervisory Medical Support Assistant

Summary

The Supervisory Medical Support Assistant (Supervisory MSA) will perform administrative support duties that may be performed in a Clinic Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC), Call Center, Inpatient Clinic, or Outpatient Clinic. The Supervisory MSA will interact with both internal and external customers; establishing and maintaining medical outpatient and inpatient charts as well as administrative records.

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Duties

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The Supervisory MSA will assist with verifying third party insurance and updating information in the Insurance Capture Buffer (ICB) system; obtaining medical information from patients; coordinating information and actions related to patient care and services; and scheduling appointments in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines.

Supervisory MSA plans and directs program's at medical centers and/or supervisory responsibility. Assignments at this level include, but are work of subordinate MSA staff; resolving complex problems to ensure products, equipment, and systems to make recommendations for improved educational or training needs; making final decisions on hiring selections; disciplinary action when necessary. The employee has full administrative planning and directing the MSA's activities. For all assignments above 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 Supervisory MSA at least 25 percent of the time.The Supervisory Medical Support Assistant plans and accomplishes work independently using guidelines she/he has been trained to follow, referring only the unusual, difficult or complex cases to the supervisor. The supervisor reviews and monitors job performance periodically to assure that intent and mission of the program is accomplished, and guidelines are followed. The incumbent also receives program direction and guidance from the team's leadership, i.e., charge nurse and medical director.

Relationships with management, co-workers, patients, Veterans, and the general public are consistently courteous, respectful, and cooperative in nature. Incumbent will display a cooperative attitude and will effectively work together to achieve the organization's mission and goals. Incumbent will ensure productivity is maintained at the established level for the program for which he/she is responsible. It is often necessary to ask questions in order to get specific information from confused customers and by checking with other sources; the incumbent will determine the nature of the issue and explain to the veteran how best to resolve the issue or refer the Veteran to the correct service/representative who can.

Provides care and/or services appropriate to the age of the patients being served, and which is appropriate to the cognitive; emotional, and chronological maturation of the patient. Assesses data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to their age-specific needs and to provide care needed as described in the services' policies and procedures. Takes into consideration age-related differences of the various veteran populations with this institution. The incumbent must demonstrate the knowledge of the changes associated with aging and possess the ability to provide care/support based upon age related factors. Ensures staff receives training in these categories. Sensitivity to the special needs of all patients in respect to age, developmental requirements, and culturally related factors must be consistently achieved.

Other duties may be assigned by the service.

Work Schedule : M-F; 8:00am-4:30pm

Telework : Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 07104F

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.
• 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.
• Education. High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.

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 :

Supervisory Medical Support Assistant, GS-8

Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the [GS-7] grade level [leading or supervising MSAs or equivalent administrative patient support staff in a non-VA medical inpatient, outpatient, or interdisciplinary setting.]

(a) Advanced knowledge of managing or leading patient support staff in a clinic. This includes independently utilizing reference sources, decision making, and 13 empowering the team to collaborate and resolve problems within a complex systems environment.

(b) Ability to provide the full range of administrative and supervisory duties to at least one subordinate MSA supervisor or team leader in a patient support setting which includes assignment of work, performance evaluations, selection of staff, and recommendation of awards and/or advancements.

(c) Ability to collaborate, communicate, and demonstrate customer service and interpersonal skills with internal and external customers to ensure quality/continuity of care and ensure compliance with established policies and regulations.

(d) Ability to provide briefings, orientations, staff development, and training in a patient support setting.

(e) Ability to manage fiscal matters, forecast resource and equipment needs, and identify budget needs.

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-08. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-08.

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

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.