Lead Medical Support Assistant

The Vancouver, WA VA Medical Center is looking to fill a GS-6 Lead Medical Support Assistant position in their Prosthetics and Sensory Aid Service (PSAS) service line. This position serves as the liaison between the clinical staff in their assigned area and serves customers both internal and external.

The list generated from this announcement can be used up to 90 days to fill any additional vacancies that may arise.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

This position serves as a Lead MSA at grade GS-6. The Lead MSA is responsible for answering questions for lower graded staff relating to healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting. The Lead MSA monitors and makes work assignments, provides input on performance, resolves daily workplace issues, and maintains efficient workflow. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: assuring coverage of all areas of responsibility; conducting ongoing reviews to ensure quality of work; ensuring accurate and timely scheduling of appointments; providing guidance to staff members, to include changes in policies and procedures; distributing and balancing workload; creating and maintaining employee work schedules; orienting and providing on-the-job training for new and current employees; ensuring all training requirements are met; organizing the work structure of his/her assigned areas; and acting as a liaison between MSA and staff to resolve day to day conflicts. Monitors MyHealthVet for outside communications from veterans.

Duties will include but are not limited to:

• Performs scheduling functions for Orthotic and Prosthetics Consults, Prosthetics requests and Return to Clinic orders.
• Answers a multitude of telephone calls and records messages pertaining to such things as detailed Prosthetic Consult requests and recognize urgent issues that require referral to the professional staff for immediate action.
• Arranges/schedules appointments for patients at a variety of locations, services and consultants on the Prosthetics requests process, coordinates appointments for timeliness and to avoid conflicts in patient treatment and to meet the schedule of the PSAS.
• Shows courtesy, respect and a positive attitude towards patients, co-workers and the public. Works in a proficient and self-directed manner to accomplish a wide variety of tasks, to include setting priorities and coordinating work.
• Orients new PSAS staff members to such things as the location of the patient files, formatting of CPRS, VISTA, Visual Aid. Orients, and CERNER staff relative to administrative rules, regulations, procedures and policies in the capacity of a Medical Support Assistant and the VA Medical Center.
• Retrieves and inputs pertinent data into our VISTA and CPRS and CERNER programs, maneuvers and retrieves medical documentation from the VISTA Capture/Display Program and is knowledgeable with Remote Data and is able when needed to retrieve appropriate data requested. Inputs and extracts data of a highly technical nature.
• Participating in leading team huddles and team meetings to manage and plan patient care.
• Maintains office supplies for the clinics, printer and/or copy machines, sorting mail and distributing fax communications.
• Advises veterans on selected non-medical benefits of a routine nature and appropriately refers veterans to information sources when questions concerning benefits of a more complex nature.

Work Schedule: 0800-1630, Monday-Friday
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year). Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 06/30/2026.

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 Proficient.
• Education: High school diploma OR high school transcript (unofficial or official) OR GED Certificate OR homeschooling completion OR proficiency certificate issued by a State or Territorial Board or Department of Education OR college transcript (official)
  • If selected, to meet the basic requirement of high school education or equivalent and prior to a firm job offer being extended, applicants must provide one of the following as verification of the education requirement if not covered under the grandfathering provision:

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).

Specialized Experience: one year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS5 grade level) in an advanced or complex clinical setting utilizing numerous advanced patient care systems, scheduling appointments across multiple clinics and coordination of services among a diverse team of medical providers and clinics to include outside agencies, advanced knowledge of medical terminology, advanced knowledge of the technical health care processes, policy and procedures as it relates to coordination of care.

At the GS -6 grade level education cannot be used as a substitution for the above specialized experience.

Candidates must demonstrate the KSAs below:

• 1. 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.
• 2. Ability to utilize numerous advanced patient care systems in support of multiple clinics in an interdisciplinary setting.
• 3. Ability to organize work, set priorities, and delegate tasks/responsibilities to meet deadlines.
• 4. Skill in communicating with individuals to obtain the desires effect and coordinating with a variety of interdisciplinary care team staff.
• 5. Ability to provide staff development and training.
• 6. 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 if incomplete work across multiple clinics.

References: VA Handbook 5005/117, Medical Support Assistant Qualification Standard, GS-679.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS 6.

Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary but may require periods of standing or walking however, there are no physical requirements for the 0679 Medical Support Assistant occupation.

High School Completion or higher

If selected, to meet the basic requirement of high school education or equivalent and prior to a firm job offer being extended, applicants must provide one of the following as verification of the education requirement if not covered under the grandfathering provision:

• Copy of high school diploma OR high school transcript (unofficial or official) OR GED Certificate OR homeschooling completion OR proficiency certificate issued by a State or Territorial Board or Department of Education OR college transcript (official)

• 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.