Summary The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service (PMRS) Supervisory Medical Support Assistant serves as the clinical administrative coordinator and works collaboratively within a complex multi-specialty service at the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System. Responsibilities Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Major duties included but not limited to: Thorough knowledge of VHA Directives for: VHA Outpatient Scheduling Processes and Procedures, Process for Managing Patients When Patient Demand Exceeds Current Clinic Capacity, Priority Scheduling for Outpatient Medical Services and Inpatient Hospital Care for Service-Connected Veterans and Priority for Outpatient Medical Services and Inpatient Hospital Care. Thorough knowledge of eligibility for VA medical care, priorities for care, release of information, Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Laws, and the Medical Fee Basis programs. The incumbent must be conscientious regarding the confidentiality of the variety of material that will be handled. The position requires a practical knowledge of an extensive body of the organization's rules and regulations governing confidentiality, including but not limited to the Privacy Act, HIPAA, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and 38 U.S.C. 7332 governing the release of records. Skill in compiling readily available data from prescribed sources; knowledge of the organization to search records, files, or electronic data banks to locate information needed, and to verify information given. Incumbent must possess knowledge of clinical processes and services to function in and interact with various clinics throughout the hospital. Employee must have knowledge of and ability to apply policies and procedures associated with operational activities that affect workload data. This position provides supervisory medical administrative support to one or more outpatient clinics and is an integral member of the outpatient clinic team to effectively carry out day-to-day administrative operations of the clinic. The incumbent is responsible for assuring accurate appointment management and the coordination of all administrative information between the professional staff and the patient. The incumbent provides administrative support to Physicians, Physician's Assistants, Nurses, Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners, Therapist, Therapist Assistant, and other administrative and professional staff throughout the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service area. The incumbent assists staff with a variety of clerical duties in one or more outpatient clinics that provide a variety of medical services. The incumbent must have knowledge of clinic procedures and regulations; basic medical terminology; and skill in operating computer systems and applications, such as VistA, CPRS, and Microsoft applications to accurately enter or extract information. Employee performs a variety of supervisory administrative functions associated with patient care and treatment in one of several clinics performing a variety of medical services. The Supervisory MSA position serves as the direct line supervisor for MSA staff assigned to Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service and is a foundational role within the VHA Patient Aligned Care Team(s) and or Specialty Care Interdisciplinary Team(s). Patient Care is delivered through the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Second Level Evaluation Clinic, Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Clinic, Pain Management Clinic, Polytrauma Clinic, Electrodiagnostic Clinic, Physiatry Clinic, Amputee Clinic, Major Medical Clinic, Chiropractic Clinic, and Kinesiotherapy (KT), Physical Therapy (PT), Occupational Therapy (OT), Recreation Therapy (RT), and Speech/Language/Pathology (SLP) outpatient and inpatient clinics. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized 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) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Supervisory Medical Support Assistant/PD00000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment 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. You may be required to serve a trial period. 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 dentification 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). Qualifications Basic Requirements: a. Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.g.). b. 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. c. Certification. None required d. Grandfather Provision. All MSAs employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, which are a part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: (1) Such employees may be reassigned, promoted, or changed to a lower grade within the occupation. (2) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.(3) If an employee who was converted to Title 38 hybrid status under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. e. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs. f. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. g. English Language Proficiency. LPMHCs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3.j. 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: Supervisory Medical Support Assistant, GS-8 (a) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level leading or supervising MSAs or equivalent administrative patient support staff in a non-VA medical inpatient, outpatient, or interdisciplinary setting. (b) Assignments. Supervisory MSAs at this level plan and direct programs at medical centers and/or satellite outpatient clinics. They have full responsibility for supervising at least one subordinate MSA team leader, supervisor, or equivalent administrative patient support staff in a non-VA medical inpatient, outpatient, or interdisciplinary setting. Assignments at this level include but are 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; evaluating performance, and taking disciplinary action when necessary. The employee has administrative and professional responsibility for planning and directing the subordinate lead, supervisor, and MSA's activities. Responsible for extracting and analyzing data to provide reports to senior management in support of tracking measures. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the basic requirements, the candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: 1. 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. 2. 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. 3. Ability to provide briefings, orientations, staff development, and training in a patient support setting. 4. Ability to manage fiscal matters, forecast resource and equipment needs, and identify budget needs. 5. 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. Preferred Experience: At least 4-5 years as a Lead AMSA or at least 1-3 years as a supervisor. Proficient in systems CPRS, Vista, Vista Scheduling Enhancement (VSE), and Integrated Scheduling Solution (ISS), Global Navigator (GNAV)/Cisco, GovTA (time & attendance). Must have knowledge of and be able to utilize VHA Support Service Center (VSSC), DataMart, VHA Reports and Measures Portal (RAMP), other data platforms, and Microsoft Office. Must have skills in compiling, analyzing and reporting data. Must have knowledge and be familiar with VHA Scheduling Directives, Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), Scheduling Business Rules and other applicable policies. Previous experience in Consult Management, familiar with the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) and Care in the Community (CITC) guidelines. 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 sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application. 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/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
