Supervisory Medical Support Assistant

This position is located in the Health Administration Service (HAS) Primary Care, at the Richard L Roudebush VA Medical Center. The Supervisory MSA has full responsibility for supervising subordinate Advanced Medical Support Assistants within the service.

Duties include but not limited to:

Evaluating the work of subordinate staff; resolving complex problems to ensure patient services are met; evaluating new products, equipment and systems to make recommendations for improved operations; identifying educational or training needs; making final decisions on hiring selections; time and leave; managing clinic closures (blocking/cancellations); evaluating performance and taking disciplinary action when necessary. Works collaboratively with facility programs, services, and interprofessional coordinated care team members to facilitate access to care through focused efforts on meeting the needs of Veterans via various available contact modalities to include but not limited to telephone calls, secure messaging, chat, text messaging and videoconferencing.

Responsible for assuring accurate appointment management and the coordination of all administrative information between the professional staff and the patient. This includes updating and verifying demographic information, scheduling appointments, collecting insurance information, data entry, administratively managing consultation requests and the electronic waiting list, and notifying the patient of his/her scheduled appointment.

Orients medical staff to basic administrative policies and procedures dealing with outpatient scheduling and other administrative topic.

Provides administrative support to Physicians, Physician's Assistants, Nurses, Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners and other administrative and professional staff. The incumbent must provide excellent customer service and must adhere to VA local, National and Service policies and procedures.

Knowledge of quality assurance/performance improvement principles and is responsible for assuring these administrative functions are carried out in the performance of their duties. Conducts individual quality assurance/process improvement checks/studies. Knowledgeable of Joint Commission requirements such as patients' rights, emergency preparedness, information security, ethical conduct, and environment of care.

Courtesy and Professionalism: As frontline contact with patients and staff, the Supervisory MSA sets the tone for perception concerning quality of healthcare services at the VA. A high degree of tact and diplomacy is required when dealing with veterans who have multiple health problems and who may be frustrated with the administrative process associated with diagnosis and treatment. A caring, compassionate and sensitive manner is essential when explaining procedures to veterans and their family members both in person and on the phone.

Meets, Communicates, and Interacts. Meet, communicate, and interact with individuals from varying backgrounds and with other health care team members in order to complete job assignments.

Operates Computerized Programs. Use various types of office automation equipment and software, to include ability to set up, organize, and maintain record systems. Utilizes such programs and databases to make appointments in a clinical setting. Maintains patient confidentiality with information, per HIPAA requirements.

Employee Education. Complies with Employee Education requirements by completing mandatory annual assignments.

Work Schedule: 8:00am -4:30pm Monday- Friday
Compressed/Flexible: Not Eligible
Telework: This is not a telework position.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 91467A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

NOTE: You must include qualifying specialized experience in mm/yyyy to mm/yyyy format on your resume and indicate Full-Time or Part-Time (if Part-time, must include # of hours worked per week). AND, if you have held a Government position, that position's grade level MUST be listed on your resume.

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.
• High school diploma or transcript (including homeschooling) OR,
• General Education Development (GED) certificate OR,
• Proficiency certificate issued by a State or Territorial Board or Department of Education OR,
• Post-high school education

Grade Determinations: To qualify for the GS-8 grade level, you must have one year of experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level leading or supervising MSAs or equivalent administrative patient support in a non-VA medical inpatient, outpatient, or interdisciplinary setting. Examples of creditable experience include but are not limited to: responsible for daily workload assessments, assigning work, and assuring proper staffing coverage; evaluating training records; and determining training needs of MSAs to provide support across interdisciplinary settings; 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 Advanced MSA staff, patients, and other interdisciplinary staff to resolve day-to-day conflicts.

In addition, candidates must demonstrate, in their resume, all of the Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs) below:

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

• 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.

• 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.

• Ability to provide briefings, orientations, staff development, and training in a patient support setting.
• Ability to manage fiscal matters, forecast resource and equipment needs, and identify budget needs.

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).

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-8.

Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary. It typically requires sitting with sustained periods of concentration. Therewill be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of relatively light objects. The position may alsorequire stooping, reaching, lifting, pulling, and other moderate exertion or strain. Incumbent may occasionally have to walk some distance to a meeting.

There is no educational substitute for 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.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• 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.