Lead Medical Support Assistant

The incumbent serves as a Lead Medical Support Assistant in the outpatient clinic setting in primary care, specialty clinics, and/or mental health. Duties may be performed in Clinic Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC), Inpatient Units, Central Intake, Community Care, Call Center, Outpatient Clinic, or Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) model or a Specialty Care Setting involved in a PACT model.

Major duties include but are not limited to:

• Monitor daily operations, assign work based on supervisory priorities, balance workloads, and maintain efficient workflow.
• Ensure coverage for all assigned areas and create and maintain employee work schedules.
• Review work quality and ensure appointments are scheduled accurately and on time.
• Guide staff on scheduling policies, procedures, and workflow changes.
• Orient and train new and current employees, provide on-the-job training, and ensure training requirements are completed.
• Coordinate special projects and scheduling deliverables in accordance with the National Scheduling Directive.
• Provide input on employee performance and resolve routine workplace issues and conflicts, escalating matters when necessary.
• Serve as a liaison among Medical Support Assistants, clinical staff, patients, patient advocates, and supervisors.
• Track and report workload related to consults, return-to-clinic orders, recall reminders, enrollments, registries, health screenings, and care coordination.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for scheduling, cancellations, no-shows, encounter management, screening protocols, insurance capture, registration, patient reminders, clinic profiles, eligibility, Community Care, and related communications.
• When assigned to Primary Care, back up PCMM functions, support data collection and validation, troubleshoot relevant software applications, validate provider-assignment information, and provide NEAR disposition coverage.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4pm & 8am-4:30pm
Telework: Not available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 25754F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

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. No experience required.
  • Education. High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

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).

Creditable Experience:

(1) Knowledge of MSA Practices. 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.
(2) Quality of Experience. 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.

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements, the following education and experience criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Lead Medical Support Assistant, GS-7:

• Experience: To qualify at the GS-7 level, the candidate must possess one year of experience equivalent to the GS-6 grade level. Experience includes but is not limited to: Coordinating with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability (utilization) to ensure that clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics, and makes adjustments as necessary; 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; enters appropriate information into the electronic record; monitors pre- appointment information and/or requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure; manages patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues; evaluating patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether the patient requires an immediate appointment. AND;
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to meeting the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  • 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.
  • Skill in communicating with individuals to obtain the desired effect and coordinating with a variety of interdisciplinary care team staff.
  • Ability to utilize numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics in an interdisciplinary setting.
  • Ability to organize work, set priorities, and delegate tasks/responsibilities in order to meet deadlines.
  • Ability to provide staff development and training.
  • 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/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-07.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.

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/.

Education is only for the Basic Requirement. There is no education substitution for the GS-7 grade level.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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.