Lead Medical Support Assistant

Basic Requirements

a. Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens b. Experience. None. c. Education. High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education. d. Licensure/Certification/Registration. None. e. Grandfathering Provision.

Employees in VHA in this occupation, under a permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and/or assignment held, including positive education and registration/certification where applicable.

For employees who do not meet all the basic or assignment-specific requirements in this standard but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply: 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.

Employees retained in this occupation under this provision who subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. f. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. g. Physical Requirements.

See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. h. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

Grade Determinations

Lead Medical Support Assistant, GS-07 (1) Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to MSA experience or equivalent administrative clinical support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting at the next lower grade level of the position being filled. (2) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs).

In addition to meeting the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) 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. (b) Skill in communicating with individuals to obtain the desired effect and coordinating with a variety of interdisciplinary care team staff. (c) Ability to utilize numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics in an interdisciplinary setting. (d) Ability to organize work, set priorities, and delegate tasks/responsibilities in order to meet deadlines. (e) Ability to provide staff development and training. (f) 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

At least 1 year of Community Care experience. Team members must be fully successful in daily work/performance standards. Candidates should be flexible and have the ability to adapt to change. Strong leadership skills and demonstrated understanding of community care and VA policies, processes, and procedures. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-7.

Physical Requirements

You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. The Lead MSA is responsible for the coordination of AMSA and MSA assignments and workflow within their assigned VACC team. The Lead MSA is responsible for daily workload assessments, assuring proper staffing coverage, maintaining efficient workflow; reviewing training records; and determining training needs of the scheduling staff within their assigned team.

The Lead MSA assists the scheduling staff with complex and non-standard consults across all specialties and identifies the need for staff 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 administrative staff, patients and other interdisciplinary staff to resolve day-to-day conflicts.

The Lead MSA ensures workload coverage, which may include covering the AMSA and MSA roles as needed if gaps in staffing/coverage are identified. The incumbent identifies this need independently without supervisor direction. The Lead MSA will complete all assigned work and additional duties as deemed necessary by their supervisor to ensure department needs are met.

The Lead MSA is responsible for the coordination of workflow and other administrative support functions associated with the day-to-day department operations. The Lead MSA is a subject matter expert in all administrative support applications such as CPRS, VISTA, ISS, REFDOCS, HSRM, PPMS, JLV, EPS, Message Manager, and all other administrative applications included but not limited to any applications required for scheduling staff to perform the functions of their role within Community Care.

The Lead MSA will need to maintain a minimum of fully successful adherence to performance standards. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Ad-hoc telework available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized