Lead Medical Support Assistant

The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is recruiting for a Lead Medical Support Assistant, located at the Akron VA Clinic within Community Outpatient Service. The Lead MSA is responsible for the coordination of Advanced MSA assignments and workflow found in an interdisciplinary unit. Responsible for daily workload assessments, assigning work, assuring proper staffing coverage, and determining training needs of MSAs to provide support across interdisciplinary settings.

VA Careers - Lead Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/UJO_XH5uCLs
Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf
Medical Support Assistant: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-MSA-VA-Career-Flyer.pdf

• Monitors the Cancelled Appointments and Consult Management initiative (CACMI) for cancelled/no show appointments.
• Monitors and creates work assignments, provides input on performance, resolves daily workplace issues and maintains efficient workflow.
• Assures coverage of all areas of responsibility.
• Conducts ongoing reviews to ensure quality of work.
• Ensures accurate and timely scheduling of appointments.
• 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.
• Act as liaison between MSA and staff in order to resolve day to day conflicts.
• Plans and organizes work with general assistance from the supervisor as to meet local and VA-wide time frames to complete analysis requirements, reports and special assignments.
• Reports backlogs, difficulties in meeting deadlines, staff conflicts, or difficulty in securing information from clinicians or the record.
• Communicates with physicians, case managers, and other allied health professional staff using sound interpersonal skills.

Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday-Friday: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM.
Telework: Not available
Remote: This is not a remote position.
Functional Statement #: 91465-A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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: 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.
  (1) 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,
  (3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.

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:

GS-7 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the [GS-6] grade level. Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to: scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient's appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring a patient scheduling electronic wait list; preparing for clinic visits; monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments for areas of responsibility; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information; processing emergency and non-emergency transfers to other hospitals; performing basic eligibility, establishing clinic profiles, co-pays and preauthorization requirements for specific coverage; working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model such as Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) or other specialty care setting where the PACT model is used such as oncology, HIV, SCI, Military Sexual Trauma, etc.; coordinating with the patient care team to review the clinical utilization by using various reports; ensuring clinical setup is closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinic, and make necessary adjustments; developing effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary team, VA Medical Centers, and other agencies; participating in team huddles and team meetings to manage and plan patient care; setting priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of work to meet team and patient needs; may work with the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions and entering appropriate information into the electronic record.

In addition, applicants must also meet the required Knowledge Skills and Abilities:

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.

References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/117 August 1, 2019 PART II APPENDIX G45

Physical Requirements: The work of this position is primarily sedentary working closely with others or alone. There may be some walking, standing, bending, kneeling, carrying of light items under 15 pounds, reaching above shoulder, driving an automobile, etc. The work environment typically involves everyday risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of an office, meeting or training room. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. The physical requirements of this position are concerned with the mental/emotional and physical ability of the incumbent to satisfactorily perform the duties of the proposed assignment and may include requisite laboratory and other screening as required by VA Directive 5019.

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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

• 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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.