Summary The Lead Medical Support Assistant (Lead MSA) position is assigned to the Primary Care and Community Clinics Service at the Southern AZ VA Health Care Services. Located in the Sierra Vista and Safford Community Based Outpatient Clinics (SV/Saff CBOC), Primary Care and Community Clinics Service, the Lead Medical Support Assistant (Lead MSA) can create detailed administrative notes that are used by clinical staff to initiate the sequence of care to the patients. Responsibilities Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Incumbent has overall responsibility for coordinating, directing a wide variety of administrative, technical and clinic support in areas assigned. Provides support work in connection with the care and treatment given to patients in 7 CBOCs. Performs a variety of support duties that facilitate the work of physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nursing assistants, and other members of the medical facility who provide patient care. Serves as a clinic receptionist, performing record keeping duties, receiving and relaying messages/information, receiving and registering patients for exams, referring patients for means testing, answering routine inquires, making appropriate referral of questions concerning patients' conditions, recognizing and referring urgent inquiries to appropriate professional staff, running necessary reports for management and providing miscellaneous support to the medical staff of the unity. Monitors and makes work assignments, provides input on performance, resolves daily workplace issues and maintains efficient workflow. Assures 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 liaison between Advanced MSA (AMSA) and staff in order to resolve day to day conflicts. Schedules appointments, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. Performs duties as a backup to the Supervisory MSA (SMSA) as needed. Advises the Veterans of their entitlement to various medical benefit and discusses co-payment requirements of Veterans in discretionary categories as guided by the E&E office. Conducts ongoing reviews to ensure quality of work. Ensures accurate and timely scheduling of appointments. Daily review of active/pending consults, Electronic Wait List, Recall list, Return to Clinic orders, Online Scheduling requests, and Vetext communications for accuracy and disposition. Responsible for scheduling appointments; including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with VHA national scheduling guidelines. Other assignments include, but are not limited to: scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient's appointments and/or consults. Lead Advanced Medical Support Assistant standardized operating procedures, develop and provide staff training, resolve daily workplace issues and maintain efficient workflow. Provide miscellaneous support to the SMSA and AMSAs of the clinic and administrative teams for Primary Care. The work requires a practical knowledge of computerized data entry and information processing systems, the medical facility's organization and services, basic rules and regulations governing visitors and patient treatment, and a practical knowledge of the standard procedures, medical records, and medical terminology of the unit supported. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 8:30am-5:00pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized 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. 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. 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. Qualifications 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: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Experience: Six months experience of clerical, office or other work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position. English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English. 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: GS-7 Lead Medical Support Assistant: Specialized Experience: In addition to the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-7 grade level requires a minimum of one (1) year experience at the next lower grade level (GS-6). Equivalent experience includes: Assigning daily workload assessments and assuring proper staffing coverage; evaluating training records; and determining training needs of MSAs to provide support across interdisciplinary settings. Assisting the unit with complex and non-standard procedures, including clinical flow processes related to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and/or community resources. 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; acting as a liaison among Advanced MSA staff, patients, and other interdisciplinary staff to resolve day-to-day conflicts. (must be in resume) In addition, you must have experience which demonstrates the following knowledge, skills and abilities: 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/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-07. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary with prolonged periods of sitting. The work requires moderate lifting, carrying, pushing, standing; reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; ability to read without strain; ability to hear the whispered voice with or without hearing aid; emotional & mental stability. Education 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 for 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.
