Lead Medical Support Assistant

The Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center is seeking three Lead Medical Support Assistant to support clinics at the medical center and Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs).

Dependent on assignment(s) or assigned service, travel within the local Wichita commuting area will be required to support Eye clinic operations; travel to Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) may also be required.

The GS-7 Lead Medical Support Assistant (MSA) is assigned to the Medical Administration Service (MAS) under the direct supervision of Service Line MSA Supervisor who is under the direct supervision of the Chief of MAS.

This position is 25% Lead duties with 75% MSA work.

• Assignment at this level includes but are not limited to assigning and evaluating the work of subordinate staff, resolving minor problems to ensure patient services are met; evaluating new products, equipment, and systems to make recommendations for improved operations; identifying educational or training needs.
• The employee has full administrative and professional responsibility for planning and directing the MSA's activities and is responsible for extracting and analyzing data to provide reports in support of performance measures to senior management.
• The Lead MSA functions above the advanced performance level for a Medical Support Assistant (MSA), performing a full range of duties for the clinics at VA Healthcare System, and has met the basic requirements for this position as outlined in VA Handbook 5005/53, Part II, Appendix G, page II-G45-5. It is expected that the GS-7 Lead Medical Support Assistant (MSA) works collaboratively with all clinical business managers and frontline staff throughout the facility and Clinical Contact Centers (CCC).
• The Lead MSA develops and maintains effective and efficient communication with all departmental leadership, respective Care Line Managers and service line managers and frontline staff, serving as a core member of the MAS and Clinical Service leadership.
• Successful performance in this position requires knowledge of administrative policies and procedures at facility and network level that impact MAS and Business Operations, information security and exchange, management of reports and data, scheduling directives, telephone care, and public relations/customer service.
• The Lead MSA is knowledgeable and skilled in the operation of a personal computer utilizing a wide variety of software, utilizing multiple computer applications in the performance of all duties including Vista (entry and retrieval of administrative and clinical data to include numerous existing report options and specialized queries), VSSC, CPRS (to include monitoring of outpatient workload data capture), Microsoft Office products for word processing, spreadsheets, and relational data base programs. The Lead MSA serves as a resource to MAS staff in use of applications, and must have the ability to extract, correlate and analyze patient encounter and provider workload data make recommendations to the Leadership team and acts as a customer service representative for MAS.
• The MAS Lead MSA has detailed knowledge of outpatient administrative processes, release of information, records management schedules for ambulatory care clinics, workload data capture, encounter forms, and VISTA scheduling package, maintaining full responsibility and accountability for the scheduling practices.
• Work closely with department business managers to communicate implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of all administrative procedures related to MAS.
• Provide recommendations and suggestions management as necessary to ensure timely completion of reports, related performance monitors/measures are met, and to directives.
• Provide training, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of all administrative procedures related to MAS operations.
• The Lead MSA can independently manage position responsibility with little to no supervision as well as set priorities and deadlines adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs.

Dependent on assignment(s) or assigned service, travel within the local Wichita commuting area will be required to support Eye clinic operations; travel to Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) will also be required.

Note: The Lead MSA assigned to support Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) operations will be required to travel to the following CBOCs:

• Salina
• Parsons
• Hutch
• Hays
• Great Bend Mobile Unit
• Dodge

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: FS000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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.

Experience and Education:

• Experience: None

and

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

GS-07 Grade Determinations:

In addition to the basic requirements, you must possess the following: One-year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-06).

Equivalent experience to the next lower grade level (GS-06) may include, but is not limited to:

• Process incoming patient secure messaging through MyHealthyVet and coordinating with care team as appropriate;
• Participating in team huddles and team meetings to manage, plan, problem solve, and follow-up with patient care by sharing information and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team; setting priorities and deadlines,
• Adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs;
• Identifying incomplete encounters and communicating findings to providers;
• Managing patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues;
• Evaluate patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether the patient requires an immediate appointment.

To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with current MSA responsibilities or an equivalent administrative patient support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment as an MSA or an equivalent position in a non-VA hospital or clinic setting.

AND

Demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs):

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 systems in support of multiple clinics in an interdisciplinary setting.
3. Ability to organize work, set priorities, and delegate tasks/responsibilities in order to meet deadlines.
4. Skill in communicating with individuals to obtain the desired 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 of incomplete work across multiple clinics.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary and is performed in various outpatient clinic or office settings. The performance of daily rounds to the assigned clinic areas as required.

Education: IMPORTANT. There is no education substitution at this grade level.

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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• 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.